Contractors in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have raised concerns about a shortage of construction material.
Smaller contractors have told this publication that they have been experiencing difficulty acquiring stone, which is required in the construction of houses.
However, the greater shortage is that of white sand which is not only used in the construction of houses but also for road construction.
During a visit to the Region on Saturday by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who met with several contactors executing road rehabilitation work, it was revealed that some contractors have been experiencing difficulty acquiring white sand.
One contractor executing a $13.1 million road rehabilitation contract on the East Coast of Berbice has a completion date of February 1, but said he needs another week. The contractor explained that he had experienced difficulty acquiring white sand.
According to the Minister, this was not an isolated case.
“We are not getting sufficient white sand and in order for you to bring white sand from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) or Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), apart from the trucking, the toll to cross the bridge is $22,000 so it carries up the contract cost,” Minister Edghill pointed out.
Most of the sand used in Region Six comes from the Upper Berbice River or Corentyne River and lands at either New Amsterdam or Crabwood Creek by boat
Edghill believes that works might still be able to go on with the available material once the engineers can find a way forward.
“If we can find alternatives that are engineeringly sound and suitable that will not compromise the quality of the road which is reef sand, we do not need to make a big issue about it because if you carry up the contract cost rather than the contractor doing 200 or 300 metres I might only be able to do 100 metres and then residents will say he only did a half of a road or he stopped the project in front of a friend house and that will be another issue, there will be the contract cost,” he noted.
Among the large road workz being carried out currently in the region are the Mara Road project on the East Bank of Berbice, two farm to market roads: one each at Number 52 and 58 Villages, three road projects in the Black Bush Polder, the road network in the Number 76 and 77 Housing Schemes on the Corentyne and the Moleson Creek/El Dorado Road upgrade project.
