Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill has cautioned contractors executing Georgetown’s hard-shoulder improvement programme against poor workmanship and practices that inconvenience residents.
He stressed that the initiative must deliver lasting benefits to communities.
The minister issued the warning on Thursday during a meeting with contractors at the Umana Yana, where he highlighted several concerns.
Among those concerns highlighted were the improper excavation, indiscriminate dumping of materials on roadways, damage to existing roads, water pipe breakages and the removal of trees.
“The Ministry of Public Works is not there to annoy people, we are here to improve people’s lives,” Minister Edghill stressed.
He reminded contractors that they are partners in the government’s development agenda.
According to Minister Edghill, they must execute their works responsibly.
He explained that the programme involves replacing existing earth shoulders with specially constructed hard shoulders using layers of sand, sifting and crusher run.
The design will allow rainwater to penetrate the ground, improve drainage and provide additional parking space, while preserving two-way traffic flow.
The public works minister said the works are particularly important in Georgetown, where elevated road shoulders often prevent water from draining off roadways, contributing to flooding and deterioration of the road network.
He advised the contractors to follow engineering specifications and coordinate with supervising engineers and technicians.
Minister Edghill also told the contractors introduce themselves to the community before commencing works and ensure excavated sections are filled promptly to minimise inconvenience.
Minister Edghill also warned that contractors who continue to disregard the required standards and inconvenience residents that their contracts could be terminated.
Meanwhile, he assured residents that existing bridges would not be broken during the current phase of works, noting that these would be addressed separately to ensure proper water flow and access.
The minister further urged all parties to take pride in their work and ensure the programme achieves its intended improvements for Georgetown. [DPI]
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