BV residents warned about driving on newly-built roads before curing process ends

– damages will incur costs to contractors, delays – Min Edghill

As the Public Works Ministry continues to rehabilitate roads in Beterverwagting along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), subject Minister Juan Edghill on Thursday urged residents to respect the curing time needed before the projects’ completion.
The roads, identified earlier by residents for rehabilitation, are being reconstructed into rigid pavement concrete roads.
The curing process, to allow for the setting of concrete, typically requires a specific period without the interference of road use.
“We want to appeal to all residents and users, while [the road] is under construction, to understand that every time you break through the barricade and drive on the road before it is completed or cured, you’re incurring damages, it is going to incur costs to the contractor and it’s going to also delay the project,” Edghill said.

“There must be a curing period of 14 days. Sometimes we try to compromise depending on the weight of the vehicles traversing, to seven days,” Edghill added.
Minister Edghill explained that despite the placement of road barriers and issuance of several notices since July 9 to residents barring their road use, they were continually ignored.
“I’m sufficiently satisfied that notices and information were shared with all of the residents in the affected areas in good enough time,” Edghill said. “We should not be having issues here especially when you are notified ahead of time that we’ll be pouring concrete and the road will not be able to be used for a number of days.”
He noted that in the interim, residents were advised to park elsewhere and alternative routes of travel were facilitated.
As road projects continue countrywide, Minister Edghill used the opportunity to further appeal to all affected residents to adhere to instructions given thus reminding them of the long-term benefits that will ensue.
“We want to execute the projects. We want to bring the benefits to the people that [require them].  But we just can’t have people in a reckless, unreasonable way damage work, remove barricades and use the structures,” Edghill said.
“We want to ask people to desist from doing that. And for those of you in other communities, let’s learn from the [Beterverwagting] experience and understand once we’re doing concrete roads in communities, we have to be patient until we get them done,” Edghill added.