Works Minister Lennox Weston has labeled work being undertaken on the Friars Hill Road and the Sir George Walter Highway as the worst road projects in Antigua & Barbuda history.
The UK-funded road project has been delayed by over a year and a new date of April 2020 has been set for its completion.
Weston says unresolved issues between the government and the Bahamas Hot Mix Company is not before adjudication.
He also says he wont be surprised if the disagreement over who should pay for cost overs makes it all the way to the Privy Council, Antigua’s final court.
The minister also said that firing the company now may not be the best option since it could result in even further delays.
“We can’t wait for them to finish and leave. We can’t wait to see the back of them. It has been a disaster, the road is still a disaster and it has been our worst experience in road building in this country,” he said.
In his address to the nation on New Year’s Day Prime Minister Gaston Browne said corrective action would be taken if the road is not completed by the revised deadline.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
THIS IS RIDICULOUS . TIME TO TAKE SERIOUS ACTION ON THE ROADS AND WATER SITUATION IN ANTIGUA HON.PRIME MINISTER.
The minister of works should be ashame of his statement concerning those 2 roads he spoke about….. The road construction is been done under his stewardship, why is it now he is allowing his voice to be heard…. ? Several promises were made by him that those roads would be completed…….But clearly we the masses were taken as fools so the promises made were done just to comfort us……….. Now the truth has revealed itself
You just want to cuss… you dont understand what you’re say, what can he do? He didnt hire them, he cant fire them…. do you know what you are saying?
Please! What are you talking about? Who negotiated the contract with this company? What penalty conditions for non completion/delays were included in the contract? Clearly none otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Bloddy Bloke,is it the Minister responsible for building the roads? What has he to be ashamed of.
PPM – Piss Poor Management is once again, on Public display, by the Public Sector’s managers, and stewards.
This project seems to have being poorly vetted, after the FUNDS were procured, which usually happens when, the SQUARE PEGS are forced, into ROUND HOLES, to begin the shenanigans.
It’s time, for these projects to be thoroughly audited, by independent forensics experts, and let the chips fall where they may.
A Time Fu Plenty A Dem Rass Go A Jailhouse!
“Total and abject incompetence”
The “works” minister should resign or be fired. Why was a foreign company hired when we have so many workers in public works getting a paycheck every month to do nothing? What moron signed a contract for a road project that doesn’t address cost overruns, work quality, and specific deliverables?
Because Public Works never build a good road in Antigua yet !!! They can’t even fix a pot hole and you want them build road ….
It’s the “norm” for Government Contracts, in Antigua, Barbuda & Redonda; norm as in…
A…poor vetting after the loans are acquired.
B…piss poor Management once the NTP – Notice To Proceed is issued.
C…old habits, as in, get paid for forty(40) hours per week, while only performing twelve(12) hours of duty, as is the case with many Public/Government Oversised Departments.
D…these norms did not begin with this present Ruling Arm, of the Government, it’s deeply rooted in decades, of the same cow, donkey, horse, sheep, goat, pig poop; and is well fertilized to produce the fruits(workers) which are being produced today.
Just to mention a few public projects with significant COST OVERRUNS…
(i) the new VC Bird Snr Airport, allegedly 100% cost overrun.
(ii) the Adoms Building.
And, I am quite sure, auditing would reveal much more.
Maybe, just maybe if Mr. Weston would have given the road contract to the Chinese or the Cubans our roads would have finish by now. These people would have work around the clock 24/7 along with the engineers and employees of Public Work’s to get the roads done on time. Isn’t the Bahamas Hot Mixed a company that Mr. Weston brother-in-law works for?
Mr. Weston should be ashamed of himself, after giving all the big talk before the project started, what else did he expect. Why didn’t the go back to the Cubans or Chinese(since here the go for everything else). I was driving on the finish portion of airport road near liat office and saw a formation of a pothole.
@Blade268, The foundation of the road was not built up properly that was why you’re seeing a formation of a pothole this quick. An engineer from Public Work’s should have been working along with the Bahamas Hot Mix to make sure the road foundation was/is done properly before applying the asphalt. Mr. Weston need to make the engineers at Public Work’s do their job because he Weston don’t having any experience and knowledge in infrastructure especially constructing a road.
Let me shine some light on how roads are built to last, First you have to dig down at least 12 inches from the surface, then a surface of 4 inches is laid in gravel pressed together, then on top of that 4 inches of concrete, 2 to 3 inches of rough asphalt then 1 to 2 inches of the finished stuff.and then edges of the roads has to be even with the road so that if you hit the edges you do not blow a tire. and that my friend is how you build roads that last 100 years.
Where does the curbs, gutters, sidewalk, drainage, proper swailing for runoffs come into play?
This is the 21st Century, and We should be way beyond, “horse and buggy, donkey and donkey box,” to be considered a Power House.
First thing with these Infrastructual(long term developmental plans) for any Community, the future development or the present development has to be considered, foremost in regards to drainage to sewer to pedestrian to bicycles to parking to egress, and ingress!
Otherwise, twenty to thirty to forty years down the road, and the Nation could find itself, in similar situations, due to its RAPID growth. Infrastructure planning is long, long, long term planning
Comments are closed.