Quarrel escalates in stalled East Bank highway… BK was not authorized to do works in area – Public Works

September 18, 2014, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source - Kaieteur News

Government has waded into the continuing standoff between a contractor on the East Bank of Demerara four-lane extension project and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), following Tuesday’s damage to underground cables during works.

According to the Ministry of Public Works yesterday, contractor BK International should not have been working in the area of the damaged cable as the consultants supervising that section had not authorized it.

Government said that BK International was not authorized to be working in this area. The contractor is accused of damaging GT&T cables which left several areas without service on Tuesday.

The Ministry said it will continue “consultations” with the consultant, BK International and GT&T with respect to the timely scheduled removal of the cable which is also contingent on financing approvals.

On Tuesday, BK was working around what is known as the DDL turn, in Diamond, when GT&T’s infrastructure were damaged, leaving residents, commercial banks, a regional hospital and an insurance company without internet and other telephone services.

GT&T, in a statement hours later complained that since 2011, road construction along the East Bank of Demerara highway has seen damaged at least a dozen times, leaving thousands without service.

GT&T said that BK did not make contact with them over the works.
The contractor, in its statement, said that the trouble all started when an old GT&T pole fell while employees were working on the new carriageway.  Workers from the telephone company later came and planted a pole in the middle of the carriageway, effectively halting works.

Yesterday, the quarrel between the two entities continued with GT&T accusing the contractor of being unethical.

There is “considerable concern about the unethical attempt by BK International Inc. to deliberately misrepresent the facts surrounding his (sic) company’s damage of GT&T’s cable infrastructure yesterday (Tuesday) at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.  We categorically reject the distortions emanating from BK International Inc.”

GT&T insisted that the location of cable damage was entirely outside of the area where it had agreed with the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) for the telephone company to carry out contract works at this point in time.

“BK International uprooted a structurally sound pole and in the process damaged our buried cable infrastructure. The cable infrastructure could not remain exposed.  As such, GT&T had to replace the pole almost immediately.”

GT&T said it informed the competent authority- the Works Services Group of the Ministry of Public Works, of the circumstances surrounding the cable damage and was aware that the group made contact with the contractor.

“As we have said before, our counterpart in Government road construction activities is the Ministry of Public Works and not any individual contractor.  Therefore, while we remain ready and willing to collaborate with all road construction contractors, our preference is to continue to work through the Ministry rather than trade accusations with any contractor via the media.”

BK in another statement yesterday also, refused to accept responsibility for any damaged GT&T cables on the new carriageway. The contractor said that this was because GT&T had indicated since May that cables in that section would have been removed.

BK said that GT&T even issued a public statement which said that it had entered a contract with the Ministry to relocate aerial cables and associated fixtures to a new pole route and to relocate the buried cables. GT&T had also claimed that the company was scheduled to commence works during the week of May 25th, 2014.

“GT&T also stated that it received payment on May 20, 2014, for the relocation of all telephone cables and poles that will affect the progress of works in this area.  In spite of the assurances provided, GT&T on Wednesday accused BK International of damaging its cables.”

BK said that Tuesday’s planting of a new pole in the center of the carriageway by GT&T has halted the project in the area and bridge works cannot proceed since access from the northern side is now blocked.

The issue over the moving of utility lines has been a raging one for over a year now despite the many consultations that were held before the start of the project which has been delayed for months now.

In the meantime, commuters are daily facing congestion on the busiest roadway in the country. The roads are also in  bad shape, leading to more frustration from the public.

The US$20M project itself has been marred with days of congestion and delays, especially with the removal of utility lines that had been in the way. The contractors and the utility companies had initially been unable to decide on sharing the costs.

The project had kicked off in early 2012 and was expected to end last year. However, it is unlikely that even this year-end deadline can be met as the Diamond Bridge in the DDL area is still to be completed, engineers say.
The roadway itself not only links West Demerara via the Demerara Harbour Bridge but it leads to the Timehri airport and Linden, a main gateway to the hinterlands.

Souece - http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....n-area-public-works/