Linden Road projects: “We will not pay for sloppy works” – Edghill warns contractors

…as over 400 community roads are completed by Linden’s small contractors

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has issued a firm warning to contractors, wherein he emphasised that substandard work would not be accepted or paid for as the Linden Road projects near completion.

Back in December 2024, 325 contracts valued at $4.2 billion for road upgrades, and 46 contracts for drainage improvements valued at $76.7 million were awarded to small contractors from the township of Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The landmark initiative is part of Government’s ongoing community road improvement initiative aimed at enhancing infrastructure while creating employment opportunities.
According to Edghill, a large number of the projects have been completed to date.
“We were pleased that the majority of the contractors who executed these projects did a fantastic job. We had 505 lots, and as I sit here…we have completed about 410. The remaining 95 or thereabout are at different stages, whether they are to the binding level, some of them are pouring concrete tonight, some of them are waiting on others to complete so they can get theirs done”, he detailed.
“We’ve been monitoring this because we want to deliver the services to people. When we complete roads, we have to deal with drainage, we have to deal with culverts, we have to deal with sidewalks, we have to deal with geometric improvements,” Edghill said.

Meanwhile, the minister outlined strict rules for contractors, including mandatory testing of roads to ensure they meet the required strength of 4500PSI. PSI, or pounds per square inch, measures the strength of concrete after it has cured, specifically indicating its compressive strength.
Contractors whose works fail to meet these standards are required to redo the project or risk having their contract cancelled without pay.
Edghill made it clear that only those who perform well would be considered for future projects.
“We will not pay for sloppy work. We will not pay for work that is not acceptable… All these concrete roads must achieve a PSI of 4500. These roads have been tested by our labs before payments were made, and we have said to our engineers and clerical workers, ‘(If) you sign off on projects that are not good quality, you’re going to face the consequences, because you’re out there to ensure compliance and to show value for money and to ensure government services are delivered adequately and in a proper manner to the people,” he added.
Further, addressing issues with concrete suppliers, Edghill revealed that some suppliers prioritize private-sector projects over Government contracts, causing unnecessary delays.
“We’ve made it clear: Government-funded projects must not be sidelined. We’ve also warned against suppliers allowing concrete trucks to drip concrete onto roads, which then requires additional contractors to clean up. These inefficiencies must be corrected,” he said.
The Minister assured that all outstanding issues, including fixing entrances and restoring road shoulders, will be addressed to ensure communities receive the full benefit of the upgrades.