Remedial works have been completed on the Hunt Oil stretch of road in the vicinity of the Lethem-Kurupukari roadway in North Rupununi, and traffic flow has resumed as per normal.
This was related by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
Emergency works on the stretch of road began on Friday afternoon, following a report of fuel (gasoline) shortage in Lethem. The News Room on Friday (August 11, 2017) reported that three pump stations in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu – Upper Essquibo) have ran out of fuel and have been closed until further notice, as a result of bad roads which delayed the transportation of the fuel to the hinterland location.
The contractor, JR Ranch Inc., revealed that sections at the side of the roadway, the particularly bad areas were first filled to create turnaround spots for the trucks due to the road’s narrowness. Three areas along the stretch were also filled and compacted. Furthermore, an excavator was used to form two cofferdams at the sides of the eroded spot in an effort to remove all accumulated slush and water prior to filling and compaction.
The Ministry committed to working with the contractor to monitor the stretch of road to ensure that there is no further need for filling and compaction and that the issue does not reoccur.
Meanwhile, a maintenance programme under the Ministry’s Hinterland Department will soon be coming on-stream to rehabilitate a number of corridors, including those from Linden-Lethem; Ituni-Kwakwani; and Mabura-Mahdia. This programme is slated to last for one year.