Completion of UG parallel road given two-week deadline
─ Minister Edghill dissatisfied with pace of work
Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the University of Guyana’s parallel road being months behind schedule.
On Friday, the minister visited the $275.5 million road which spans 920 metres long and 6.4 metres wide, and is currently being executed by Yunas Civil and Building Construction.
The road was initially scheduled to be completed in September 2021. A two-week deadline has now been issued by Minister Edghill for its completion.
“This project is beyond the schedule time. We have had challenges, we have had problems so I am here today to ensure that before passage of the 2022 budget successfully through the Parliament and for us to start new works, projects like these are wrapped up,” the Minister stated.
The Ministry of Public Works has a proposed budget of $96.1 billion, of which $76.7billion is earmarked for roads and bridges. Minister Edghill said there is an enormous amount of work to be undertaken in 2022.
Issuing a warning to contractors, Minister Edghill said, “contractors who don’t finish their projects, I am making it public, do not even attempt bidding because if we give you the job, we know you would not implement. We are beyond time on this. Valentine’s day is a beautiful day in Guyana which is just over two weeks away from now and by then, this road must be wrapped up.”
The road provides access to students and lecturers of the University of Guyana, along with residents of Sophia, Cummings Lodge and other communities.
Works remaining to be undertaken to bring the road to completion include adding the final layer of crusher run and paving.
“I had a conversation with the contractor. We are not going to tolerate sloth, whether it is from this contractor or any other contractor, works must be completed… I cannot be busy implementing 2022 and still fighting with 2021. So, across the country wherever we have had issues and time overruns, we have to get those projects wrapped up,” Minister Edghill stated. The geotextile fabric which is being used to enhance the roadwork, the minister said, will prevent deterioration of the shoulders and other sections of the road which were exacerbated by two parallel trenches. He said the technology is needed to protect the road’s structure, which has undergone numerous repairs.