$600M Supenaam stelling collapses again

…loading ramp buckles under weight of trucks

- Vehicles, passengers forced to revert to the old Adventure stelling

Four days after a multi-million-dollar stelling opened to traffic in Essequibo, authorities were yesterday forced to close operations as a controversial roll-on/roll-off ramp buckled under the weight of vehicles. Yesterday, angry Essequibo residents said that it was a clear case of poor monitoring of the almost $600M (US$3M) project that has been hailed by government as a major improvement to that county. Calls by Kaieteur News to the offices of the Transport and Harbours Department yesterday afternoon went unanswered and attempts to get explanations were rebuffed by security officials of the new stelling who referred the newspaper to the Adventure stelling. Operations were hurriedly shifted back to the old Adventure stelling to cater for the scores of vehicles that would have been stranded at Parika and in Region Two, Essequibo, even as technical officials of the Ministry of Public Works were reportedly rushed down to the troubled area to assess the damage. Almost 25 staffers, who were moved on Saturday from the Adventure area in what should have been a positive end to a troubled construction, were yesterday told to report back for duties to that stelling until further notice.

The MV Torani at the Good Hope, Supenaam stelling yesterday. The vessel, which was reportedly loaded around 10:00hrs, was delayed for several hours after a loading ramp from the new facility folded.

The gates of the new stelling at Good Hope, Supenaam, were locked yesterday, shortly after 13:00hrs, and frustrated drivers and passengers alike were told to check with the Adventure stelling. No reasons were given. But sources within the Ministry of Public Works yesterday said that troubles with the ramp started shortly before 10:00 hrs. “There are two trips daily for the ferries (to and from the stelling). The MV Torani came and unloaded without no problems. It was when the big trucks were loading on back that one of the stagemen (labourers) there noticed that the ramp was crumbling.” The officials at the stelling were alerted and checks confirmed that there was a major problem with the loading ramp. The entire end was bent from the weight of the vehicles, a clear indication of faults. According to officials, it was decided for safety reasons not to allow any more passengers into the stelling area and the gates were closed. Persons and vehicles were re-directed to the Adventure stelling. This latest incident is one that the government could do without, especially as the facility has been plagued by troubles, since construction began about four years ago. Although completed two years ago, it was not until January that tests were conducted. Faults were found then with the ramp. However, the facility was handed over to government. At the end of last month, days before government planned its opening, the stelling again came into the news after a second pontoon attached to the ramp sank. Employees of the Ministry of the Public Works managed to salvage the pontoon and it was re-attached last week. The stelling was then opened to traffic on Saturday. Government sources had recently criticized the handling of the construction of the stelling, citing technical faults that were evident. However, nobody seems to be taking the blame. Earlier this month, BK International, the contractor had issued a statement distancing itself from the problems of the facility since government ‘was satisfied’ and a Completion Certificate had even been issued back in January. It is believed that in addition to the original $574M spent on the wharf, a hefty sum was also spent to rectify some of the faults, especially with the ramp. An additional pontoon (the one that sank) was added and officials are estimating that the final cost may have been nearing $600M. Earlier this week, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, confirmed that the old stelling at Adventure, a fixture for several decades for travelers to and from Essequibo Coast, had been closed and all new stelling operations would be conducted at the new facility at Good Hope, Supenaam. The stelling would have been a major ease for travelers to and from the Region Two area, as commuting time using the MV Malali or one of the other ferries was expected to cut travel down by at least 90 minutes. Additionally, fuel costs for the ferries would have been reduced significantly. Before Saturday, travelers from Adventure would have had to endure almost five hours on the ferries. In a statement earlier this month, BK International said that it completely handed over the facility to Government since January. As a matter of fact, said Egan Bazilio, an official of the company, in a letter to this newspaper, two Ministers of Government and other stakeholders were present in January when the structure was successfully tested with an 18-ton vehicle. The firm said that the sunken pontoon was not part of the design of the stelling and “thus was not built or placed by BK International Inc.” The Company noted that the persons who were working on the pontoon that sank were not any of their staffers. “BK International Inc. built the stelling according to the design and full compliance with all technical specifications. The original design and construction was for a roll-on/roll-off gangway. BK International engineers are of the view that the ferry stage (ramp) should be extended, not the gangway. The ferry stage may also be replaced. According to BK, modification of the structure should not have proceeded without consultation with the design and construction firms.