More time needed to complete CJIA expansion project – Edghill

…assures project would be substantially completed by year end

The expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) could be the subject of delays, as extra time would be needed to complete the longstanding project.
This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who was at the time touring the Sheriff/Mandela Road project. According to him, work at CJIA, which is being undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), would be treated in much the same way as Sheriff/Mandela was treated and fast-tracked.
“The CJIA will be the subject of similar treatment as I’ve done with the Sheriff- Mandela. And that will be done in a very short time from now,” Edghill explained to media operatives when he was asked about the CJIA expansion.
But while Minister Edghill acknowledged that extra time would be needed to complete the CJIA expansion, he could not say how much time. According to him, this is all under review by the Ministry currently. He did say the project would be substantially completed by year end, which in engineering terms is usually taken to mean over 90 per cent complete.
“Work is ongoing. We’ve had some delays, but work is ongoing, and we’re pushing it. By December 31, we will have substantial work being completed. We will need some extra time, but I’m not at the stage right now of determining how much time.
I don’t sit and say, ‘I’m giving you two weeks or three weeks’. We go through every item that needs to be done, we go through what are the issues and what needs to be done to resolve it reasonably, and then we determine that; and that is being reviewed right now,” Edghill said.
Based on the Government’s agreement with Chinese contractor China Harbor, the expansion works were supposed to be completed by this year end. As at January 2021, all critical works were completed. The additional works amounted to US$9M.
When works are completed, the CJIA is expected to have six boarding bridges and an extended terminal building and boarding corridor, among other things. But CHEC has been seeking an extension of time to complete the project.

Missed deadlines
Back in October, the Government of Guyana had declined a request by CHEC for an extension of the deadline to April 2022 to complete ongoing works at the CJIA. Having missed several timelines already, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had indicated that Government would not be entertaining any such request.
According to Indar, the engineers would be leaving by mid-November, and they would have to do a Certificate of Completion to show the progress of the works. At that time, he noted, Government would look at the remaining works to be done before giving any further consideration to a deadline extension.
As early as September, Edghill had said that with challenges in the shipping industry due to the global pandemic, the year-end deadline to fully complete the project may not be realised. In fact, the Ministry’s Project Manager, Carissa Goodings, had explained that the contractor’s request for a deadline extension was as a result of two major causes of delay, including freight. The other relates to underground utilities that were encountered, hence hindering the progression of works.
The CJIA Modernisation Project was supposed to have been completed since December 31, 2018 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.
The Granger-led APNU/AFC Administration had settled for a downsized design while paying more than the allocated US$150 million. The CJIA, in its downgraded design expansion, had four less air passenger boarding bridges for arrivals and departures than the initial eight.
There was also a 450-seat departure area, escalators and elevators, in addition to an incomplete extended runway which was supposed to measure 400 and 690 metres at the respective ends. (G3)