Wakenaam’s Road Rehabilitation Project 50% Completed
Friday, August 23, 2019 – The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is on a mission to enhance the livelihood of Wakenaam’s residents by rehabilitating the Island’s road infrastructure.
During June, Hon. Minister David Patterson visited the island of Wakenaam for a community meeting. Coming out of the meeting was the condition of the road infrastructure on the Island. Due to this, Minister Patterson pledged to mobilise a team from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Special Projects Unit (SPU) to conduct an assessment on the roads and to transport the Demerara Habour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) Mobile Asphalt Plant to the Island.
As was promised, concurrently, the Mobile Asphalt Plant was transported and the road assessment was done.
Further, on August 21, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Hon. Jaipaul Sharma; Manager-Traffic/Safety/Maintenance, Kester Hinds and team; and the DHBC Asphalt Plant Manager, Troy Halley and team; visited the island to inspect the stockpile area and the current progress of works.
To date, three contractors have provided 2100 tonnes of crusher run materials, these are Toolsie’s Persaud Limited, BK Limited and Barakara to a tune of $5,307,872, $5,145,000 and 5,307,872 respectively. The grading, levelling and the application of crusher run fabrication has commenced from Wakenaam’s Transport and Harbours Ferry Stelling to Sans Souci junction, then to Noitgedacht Crossroad then north to Maria’s Pleasure, then west of the island to Free & Easy then back to Sans Souci junction. This will be completed with the application of 2 inches of asphalted concrete on the road’s surface.
Minister Sharma stated that the asphaltic mixture is expected to arrive on the island on Friday, August 23 and the application of asphaltic concrete will commence immediately. Minister Sharma further added that the Mobile Asphalt Plant has been previously used in Linden, Leguan and Wales for works on Canal No. 1 and No. 2 access roads, and he anticipates that when the roads are completed, they will last for a number of years as the roads in Linden, Leguan and Canal No. 1 and No. 2 are standing up to the test of time.
The Ministry’s Regional Engineer, Harry Lall shared with the visiting team that the residents for the past weeks have extended thanks to the Ministry for the progress of works done to date and anticipates the completion of a rehabilitated asphaltic concrete road.