Works on $413M Leguan Stelling moving apace – Min. Edghill

– Calls on contractor to accelerate works to meet June deadline

Works on the $413 million Leguan Stelling are moving a pace stellar improvements since it’s commencement date in 2018 said Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill on Wednesday.

The minister was conducting a site visit to ensure works are on schedule.

“It is a marked improvement of what was happening here. So, basically, we have started to see light at the end of the tunnel and that is a good thing but the works here needs to be accelerated. This contract should be up by June and I have said to the contractor this afternoon to double up his work force. It’s not what we want it to be right now, we should’ve been way ahead of this but it is much improved compared to what was going on here,” Minister Edghill noted.  

The minister was informed that the contractor S. Maraj Contracting Services is experiencing difficulties finding workers to accelerate the works.

To this end, Minister Edghill committed to assisting by publishing a public service announcement on the ministry’s Facebook page. The ministry will also liaise with the Ministry of Labour to hire persons who were trained through the Board of Industrial Training to work on the project.

The project includes the expansion of the stelling platform through the construction of the reinforced concrete stelling that will be adjacent to the existing structure.

The new reinforced concrete section of the stelling will be constructed on 228 pre-stressed concrete piles and will measure some 160 ft by 130 ft.

A new link-span bridge will be incorporated into the structure. It will also facilitate the mooring of the ferry, the off-loading of commodities and the ingress and egress of passengers and vehicles.

Safety elements will be incorporated such as lighting, and safety rails on both the rehabilitated intersection and the reinforced concrete northern extension of the stelling.

The project also caters for the construction of an admin building which will be utilised by the staff of the Transport and Harbours Department to oversee the operations.

All of the rehabilitation works on the existing timber carriageway have been completed and involved the replacement of deteriorated foundation piles.

Deteriorated timber members on the carriageway were replaced and included capping beams, bed planks, running strips and more. 

All of the works on the southern existing timber extension of the facility have been completed.

Ongoing works are aimed at the completion of the reinforced concrete deck at the northern section, following which the link-span bridge and unit-float pontoon will be installed.

With the introduction of the link-span bridge system, the vehicles will be accommodated with greater ease.