A stockpile of 30,000 tonnes of aggregate in the parking lot of the National Stadium yesterday created a huge bulge that raised the entrance into Red Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara by some six to eight feet.
The aggregate stockpile is maintained and owned by the Ministry of Public Works.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said yesterday that according to the engineers’ evaluation, there was earth movement as a result of the weight of the aggregate stockpile in the National Stadium parking lot.
“We have an unusual event that has taken place. We have a bulge that has taken place that has raised the road almost 6 and 8 feet in some places.”
The bulge that was created damaged 150 metres of the road. The event was described as unusual since the area has been used several times before to stockpile aggregate, crusher run, and stone, Edghill explained. The weight of the stockpile will be redistributed to create a balance. Heavy-duty machines began the redistribution process after the event.
The damaged road will cause great inconvenience to commuters until its restoration as the flow of traffic will be restricted from Red Road on the East Bank Highway to the entrance of Massy Stores.
Two emergency contractors have been mobilized to reconstruct the damaged section of the road. Utility companies, GTT and GWI, were contacted to assess the area for pipelines and cables to ensure an incident-free excavation process.
To avoid a recurrence of such an event, the Public Works Minister assured that “lessons will be learnt from this.”
Commuters who utilise the road were seen walking to their destinations. Taxis stopped working, and according to information received by Stabroek News, there was a significant price hike for those that transported people. Dozens were stranded as a result of the incident.
The cost for the reconstruction of the road is yet to be finalised. The contractors will first be engaged and assessed according to their capacity to complete the road.
Edghill apologized to the public for the event and the inconvenience caused.
A Facebook post by the Amazonia Mall stated that as a result of the recent closure of the intersection at Red Road Providence and the East Bank Public Road, the Mall will remain open with access from eastern Red Road Providence.
