…July 2023 deadline hampered by rain, utilities & procurement – Minister
The ambitious expansion and upgrade of Cemetery Road is to date 25 per cent complete, with $191.4 million or 40 per cent of the contract spent so far as rain and procurement delays took their toll on the project.
This was revealed in the answers provided by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, to questions submitted by the parliamentary A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Opposition in the National Assembly. The completion date was July 2023.
In answering questions about the total percentage of work that has been completed, as per the scope of works, Edghill revealed that 25 per cent had been completed to date. This includes the $197.4 million that has been spent out of the $475 million contract sum.
Works ongoing on the Cemetery Road expansion
A breakdown of the contract shows that from Princes Street to Sussex Street, 20 per cent has been completed. It was explained that this section of the project has been delayed by rain, shortage of concrete and materials and the relocation of utilities.
Meanwhile, five per cent has been completed from Sussex Street to Middle Road. A similar per cent was also completed from Middle Road to Front Road. Both sections, $68.6 million and $66.5 million, respectively, were delayed by rain.
While $86.1 million was allocated from the contract for Front Road to Mandela Avenue and $15.9 million for traffic lights, signs and other road furniture, no notes accompanied these categories. However, 50 per cent was listed under per cent done for traffic management and control. General items meanwhile saw 80 per cent of $54.2 million from the contract being spent.
Speaking about the project in the National Assembly last month, Edghill had explained that the contractors will expedite their ongoing work in order to ensure the project can be completed by this year end.
He had explained that the delays included the flooding from the drains and contractors having to change several teams, as well as the delays in removing utilities that were impeding the project. Edghill had assured, however, that the Ministry continues to have close engagements with the contractors and engineers.
“All of us would have seen and known that the drains in the cemetery road alignment have been consistently flooding and waters from the burial ground have been coming in.”
“The Ministry has indicated that it has no objections to sub-contracting elements of the project, since there are two bridges, two culverts and a fence to be built, in addition to the widening of the road,” Edghill had said.
Last year, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government launched its $1.4 billion Enhancement Project along Independence Boulevard and Cemetery Road. The enhancement project will see almost $1.5 billion being pumped into the upgrade and transformation of roads along Independence Boulevard and at Cemetery Road. Works at Independence Boulevard will be completed in three lots, each lot being awarded to a different contractor to speed up the construction process.
Lot one will see works being done from Saffon Street to La Penitence by Rim Construction Inc. Construction will begin from La Penitence to Garnett Street, making up lot two, by IB Contracting and Machine Rental. Lot three will be done by C&L Construction Inc from Garnett Street to Cemetery Road. (G3)
