Contract will be terminated if Cemetery Road not completed by end of March- Edghill

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill says the long-delayed Cemetery Road project in Georgetown must be completed by the end of March 2024 or the contract awarded to Avinash Constructing and Scrap Metal Inc. will be terminated.

Edghill visited this project on Tuesday and expressed much disappointment that it is yet to be completed.

“… this should have been completed. It is clear that the contractor has not done what he said he will do,” Edghill said after visiting the project.

Because of the obvious delay, Edghill said the contractor will be required to submit a revised work plan that demonstrates how the project will be completed by the end of March. If that cannot be done. Edghill said there will be consequences.

“If the work is not completed, he will be terminated and removed from the project (and) we will have to put another contractor to complete it,” he said.

After an initial delay, the project to upgrade the existing two-lane Cemetery Road to four lanes was extended to the end of January, 2024. Avinash Constructing and Scrap Metal Inc. was awarded the $475M contract in 2022.

But this isn’t the only project facing delays.

The $1.8 billion Conversation Tree to Dennis Street Project is once again embroiled in issues as the Trinidadian company, Kallco Guyana Inc. has been unable to complete the project despite an extension

Edghill also visited the site on Tuesday and hinted at possible sanctions for the company, which was given up to the end of January to finish the project.

Delays were also observed at the Aubrey Barker road expansion and Lamaha Street Extension projects. Edghill said all of these delays are unacceptable.

“We will not allow contractors to delay projects without consequences,” Edghill said.