Days after tests were conducted on the Vreed-en-Hoop public road, West Coast Demerara (WCD) to determine the cause of the sunken area, a number of workers were called in to remedy the deteriorated section reportedly caused by faulty foundation works.
On Saturday morning, a team of contractors were busy digging up the deteriorated area which covered about 100 feet of the road.
It was explained by a source that the road begun sinking due to defective foundation works previously laid by the two contractors, Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited, a Jamaican company, along with BK International Inc.
Contractors attached to the two companies were on Saturday digging up the faulty layers and replacing same with other materials.
On Friday, Head of the Works Services Group at the Infrastructure Ministry, Geoffrey Vaughn told this publication that the contractors are now standing the expenses to conduct repairs to the road, under the defect liability clause in the contract.
He explained during a telephone interview that the contract has a defect liability period, which means any defects which develop, in this case over a year’s time, would have to be repaired by the contractors and not the Ministry.
The head of the Works Services Group also pointed out that the Ministry is aware of the situation, hence, it is ensuring that the contractors remedy the road. According to him, “We see the defects, we are cutting the area out now and ensure that there is no further deterioration.”
On Wednesday workers attached to Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited had begun drilling holes to surround the sunken section of road at Vreed-en-Hoop, as they explained that they were conducting an examination to determine the reason for the sunken road.
INews understands that days before the hole formed, the patch was uneven and rough, causing motorists to avoid using that section of the roadway.
The project which was constructed to the tune of some $9.7 billion was completed this this year by the two contractors after several hiccups and setbacks.
Back in July when the road was commissioned by the subject Minister David Patterson, it was noted that the project was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Some 30.7 kilometers of the West Coast roadway was rehabilitated to include bridges and culverts, new ‘shared-use’ lanes for cyclists and pedestrians at key junctions, the installation of high visibility traffic signs and road markers, the installation of pedestrian footpath bridges, the construction of concrete drains at critical locations and the construction of parking lanes along identified sections of the road, the Department of Public Information reported.
The expansion entailed the improvement of about 30.7 kilometres of the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo just about one mile East of Parika.
