Contractor ordered to fix defective section of East Bank Berbice road

Last Updated on Wednesday, 2 September 2015, 22:57 by GxMedia

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson chairing the East Bank Berbice Road review meeting.

The East Bank Berbice (EBB) Road, which has been a headache for residents, has been rehabilitated but still has numerous defects that the contractor first has to fix before he hands over the thoroughfare to government, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said Wednesday.

The road project cost GY $393.9M. Work commenced in November 2014 and was completed in June. 

The Public Infrastructure Ministry said the contractor, H. Nauth and Sons has to remedy several defects on the 12 kilometers of the road between Everton and Mara that that it was hired to resurface.

 General Manager of H. Nauth and Sons, Jerry Lochan informed a review meeting with the Public Infrastructure Minister and his Technical Team that the remedial works would begin on September 9, 2015.

The Ministry said in a statement that an inspection done on August 26 by the Ministry’s Internal Auditors found that sections of the road surface did not meet the specifications, debris were very visible in wearing course which results is holes emerging on the road surface. The ministry said also noticeable was vegetation growing through the road and hairline cracks that clearly indicate that the base material still has vegetable soil.

“To this end, a technical team from the Ministry will accompany the Contractor to inspect all defects with the aim of conducting a detailed assessment of the corrective works needed to bring the project within the specifications and standard as per contract,” said the ministry in a statement.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s laboratory also plans to re-evaluate a compaction test of the thoroughfare. H. Nauth Company will be executing some independent density test as well. 

More than one year ago, fed up residents of East Bank Berbice had taken their concerns to Georgetown outside the Parliament Building in the hope of gaining the attention of then minister of government to fix the deplorable road.