Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, has indicated the construction of the synthetic track at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground in Wismar, Linden, is nearing completion and, he hopes the laying of the track can be done before the year-end.
In 2018 works commenced to develop the facility along with one in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
News Room Sport visited the facility over the weekend and while the rubber turf is still to be laid, the Director of Sport said on Wednesday, it is nearing completion.
“I will be having a meeting with the consultant; work is continuing on the track in Linden, [and] I think it is about 85% to 90% complete at this time”, the Director stated.
“Last Saturday, I was at the track we have in Berbice and that is having some difficulty because the contractor has claimed he is unable to use a track or dam to collect the clay to put on the inner field; that inner field was about halfway completed with the clay that is supposed to go on it. Berbice is about 75% completed.”
Ninvalle further explained that after the laying of the track, the next step would be building stands and pavilions. He revealed that in the initial plans for these two tracks, no inclusion was made for the construction of such.
Some persons with Track and Field backgrounds in Linden were questioning when there would be the construction of stands to help with the enclosure of the facility given the dust issue from the bauxite.
“You know after these facilities would have been completed then there are the pavilions that will have to go up. Quite sadly, those facilities were put down without anything about how spectators will be accommodated. While the grounds and so forth will be completed, the stands and pavilions that we are actually looking at as Ministry at this time.”
The Director added, “whoever would have done that facility did not include such, so we are now looking at that, and we are having consultations with the consultant but those [stands and pavilions] were not included in the original plans.”
The Director said they will speak to the consultants to determine the additional funds they would need for stands.
When completed, the facility is expected to boast an eight-lane synthetic track, a football pitch, security fencing, drainage, and restroom among other features.
In October 2018, BK International Inc. was awarded the contract for the Region Six track, to the tune of approximately $141 million.
Builders Hardware and General Supplies was given the nod for the facility at Bayroc to the tune of $179 million.
There were 14 tenders for the Region Six project and 12 for Region 10.
Currently, there is only one synthetic track in Guyana, located at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
