Contractors urged to accelerate pace of Conversation Tree road project

With 65 percent of the project timeline already passed and only 25 percent of works completed, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill on Tuesday urged the contractors executing the road widening project from Conversation Tree to Dennis Street, Georgetown to “pick up pace” so that they can meet the deadline.

“Both contractors need to up their game. This project needs to be finished. The contractual obligated time is 5 November,” Edghill said on Tuesday.

The Minister of Public Works visited the project site to inspect how works are progressing.

However, whilst there he was not satisfied with the pace of the works and warned the contractors that they will need to accelerate their pace to meet the project deadline.

A number of concerns, including clogged drains and mosquito infestation, were also raised by residents of the communities of Campbellville and Bel Air.

They too were not pleased with the performance of the contractors.

The Conversation Tree to Dennis Street, Georgetown road widening project is one of the several which is currently being executed by the Government around the country aimed at modernizing and transforming Guyana, improving infrastructure and reducing travel time.

The project, which is valued at $1.8 billion, is being executed by S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc. and Trinidadian Company, Kallco Guyana Inc.

“The project engineer will serve, immediately, letters of poor performance and none performance with specific instructions ensuring that the citizens’ access is maintained and water that has become stagnant and is breathing mosquitoes is addressed today (Tuesday),”  Edghill explained.

“We are flagging it especially this section that is being done by Kallco as a case of concern and we have to address it administratively,” he added.

Edghill said while S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc appears to be making progress, Kallco Guyana Inc. is practically making none.

“I have instructed that Kallco meet me in my office next Monday afternoon at 5 o’clock for us to be able to determine if this project continuing with them or we terminating,” he said.

Works on the project include a double-lane carriageway on the reserve south of Delhi Street, the implementation of concrete revetments between the East Coast highway and Railway embankment and the construction of large concrete bridges to establish a connection to Dennis Street.