Patience, cooperation needed during ongoing infrastructure works at BV – Min. Edghill
Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill on Friday visited the community of Beterverwagting, on the East Coast of Demerara, where several concrete roads are being constructed to enhance the lives of residents there.
The construction of community roads is in keeping with a commitment made by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, during a walkabout in several communities along the East Coast in May.
The minister explained, “The roads are being done by contractors, and by people from the community, and we are doing it with rigid pavement concrete.”
He stressed that as infrastructural development unfolds in every community, it is vital that citizens exercise patience and cooperation to ensure the work is done efficiently and effectively.
The public works minister said he received reports of residents driving on the road at Republic Drive in Beterverwagting before it is completed, despite receiving adequate notice of the ongoing works and temporary closure.
He appealed to citizens to adhere to directions given by the ministry’s engineers and officers, regarding the temporary closure of roads under rehabilitation that require specific curing times.
“We want people to understand that every time we break through the barricade, and we drive on the road before it is completed or cured, you are incurring damages, costs to the contractors, and it will also delay the project. If we are going to have development, we are going to have some amount of inconveniences for periods, and then we can have the long-term benefits,” he emphasised.
Rigid pavement concrete roads require approximately 14 days to cure, and residents must avoid driving on the thoroughfare before the completion of the curing process, as this affects the structural integrity.
“Whenever a rigid pavement concrete road is done, there will be an inconvenience for a number of days to allow for curing of the road before we put weight on it, and I am appealing for your patience, your understanding, and your cooperation. During this process, we try to ensure there are alternative routes for people to use, we ask people to adjust where they will park their vehicles during that period,” he said.
Moreover, in some cases, residents collectively decide to put measures in place to ensure that their vehicles are parked in safe, alternative areas to allow for the work to be completed. This, the minister underscored, is the level of cooperation that is necessary to ensure continued sustainable infrastructural development at the community level.