July 1, 2016 Source

There is a major structural fault with the $350m bridge constructed across the Hope Canal,  East Coast Demerara, according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who yesterday said the structure has repeatedly shifted away from the road.

As a result, Harmon said, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is effecting remedial works.

Harmon was asked for an update on the status of the $3b Hope Canal project at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press conference, where he said that it is not completed as there were some issues with the quality of the work done by the contractors.

According to Harmon, “every week or almost every other week the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has to do some repair” on the bridge which was commissioned across the canal “because it is moving as the traffic moves.”

“There is always a sort of gap between the bridge and the road and that is a construction matter and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, they are in consultation with the contractor who did that and for the completion of the canal,” the minister said.

He added that he was last aware that the planned eight-gate sluice was to be completed and the government had to resolve the question of who would be responsible for beyond the sluice, going into the Atlantic. He said that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is engaged in that and a resolution will be seen soon.

The canal was one of the major projects of the 2006 Bharrat Jagdeo administration in the aftermath of the 2005 Great Flood. However, it encountered severe delays and the life of the 2011 Donald Ramotar administration expired without it being commissioned.

The controversial project was designed to drain water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) into the Atlantic Ocean, thereby eliminating the flooding of the Mahaica Creek and its environs.

It has missed many deadlines, including the original 18-month period for construction after it was commenced in February, 2011. The time frame was extended from June, 2013 to August, then to December, then to June 2014, then to September and again to December of that year. Former Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon blamed cost overruns for the last missed deadline. He had said that most of the work was completed although at that time the eight-door sluice was still to be completed.

The Hope Canal Project has four components: a Northern Relief channel, which will be 10.3km in length from the sea defence embankment and extending to the EDWC; a high level outfall sluice; a conservancy head regulator; and a public bridge.