The Ministry of Public Works on Tuesday inked a total of $2.6 billion in contracts for the construction of urban road networks, the rehabilitation of pontoons at the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the supply of spare parts for the two ferries that ply the Parika to Supenaam route.
The ministry’s Miscellaneous Road Programme accounted for $1.1 billion and was awarded to 37 contractors.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill urged several contractors to work closely with communities before works begin.
The contracts were signed at the ministry’s boardroom at Wight’s Lane, Kingston, Georgetown.
A total of $562.2 million was signed for the construction of urban roads; $320.3 million for the rehabilitation of 24 regular and four large pontoons at the Demerara Harbour Bridge; $457.9 million acquisition and supply of spare parts for the MV Sabanto and the MV Kanawan ferries and $183 million for the construction of beacons and supply of buoys in the Essequibo River.
Works are expected to commence immediately in Regions Two, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten.
Minister Edghill told the contractors to ensure residents have access to roads once construction begins.
“We have to use some of the streets to get access some of these roads that we’re going to be fixing. Let’s be mindful that when we are passing through communities to get to the back streets and some of the streets that we’re working on, we’re not dominant shoulders, we’re not damaging roads. We take all the time,” Eghill said.
He made it clear that contractors can also be held accountable by the residents in the various communities.
“As we would have said before, wherever we are executing contracts before the work begin, a meeting must be held with the community, whether the ministers are present or the permanent secretary or just the engineer and the local authority the people must know this is the contractors that is executing this work and the unpriced bill of quantities must be given to the community,” Edghill explained.
Contractors were also warned by Minister within the ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar to execute the works on time and consider the weather.
“So, I want you to be mindful that although you have a contract to execute, think about the people them whenever you start to open up the place.
“From time to time I would get pictures from residents, when contractors are working, they put the sand and the loam in the middle of the street, I had to find them in the night to remove it, so cars can go by,” Indar explained.
Indar said this is only a fraction of the infrastructural works planned for the year.
