By: Trichell Sobers
Four of the eleven contractors working on the $11.8 billion four-lane highway project from Schoonord to Crane in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) are expected to pay liquidated damages over the delayed completion of the roadway.
The project is about 90% completed.
This was revealed to this publication by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, who noted that the government has a no tolerance policy on delayed projects.
He said that in addition to liquidated damages, a new deadline has been instituted and there would be no further extensions for the completion of the highway.
“There are 11 contractors who are working there, some are complete, and there are a few who are behind time. But all have been given a final deadline of July 31st for completion, and that is what we are holding these contractors to. That is why I also noticed some of them are doubling up and putting in night jobs to get the work done,” the Minister explained.
“We have applied liquidated damages, and that’s one of the mechanisms we have put in place…we are applying liquidated damages across the board, and so the contractors are already feeling the squeeze, and they know the importance,” Croal added.
In September 2022, some $11.8 billion in contracts were signed for the construction of the Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane highway – a project that is part of a much larger initiative to establish a secondary road link to Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
The works included two roundabouts, 11 reinforced concrete box culverts, 36 pre-stressed bridges, an emergency lane, 4.1 kilometres of dual-carriageway road and road signage and markings.
The project was awarded to 11 contractors – VR Construction Inc, Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc, L-Heureuse Construction and Services Inc, GuyAmerica Construction Inc, AJM Enterprise, Vals Construction, Puran Bros Disposal Inc, and JS Guyana Inc.
All contractors were required to finish their respective projects by October 25, 2023. However, after delays, they were given an extension.
