The Ministry of Public Works has been working around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the section of the Providence Red Road which crumbled and bulged yesterday as the earth beneath the road shifted under the weight of more than 30,000 tonnes of stone that were being stored nearby by the same Ministry of Public Works.

Speaking to reporters on site today, the Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said two contractors – XL Engineering Guyana and Guy-America – are currently restructuring the section of the road that was severely damaged by the bulging.

“It is clear that in the first instance, we will be seeking to get the road rehabilitated and restored so that we can have traffic but even before this event, there was some development plans. We want to be able to execute a turning lane so that the traffic don’t have to be backed up when you are turning coming in, widening of the bridge. So, I have asked my team to look at the possibility of how we can get that done, at the same time,” Minister Edghill said.

While the carriageway is undergoing rehabilitation, the pedestrian walkway which was also damaged has been untouched. It was explained that beneath the surface are glass fibre optic cables, which have to be carefully removed.

“We do have some fibre optic cables that would have to be removed, and that is why work is limited at this time to just the carriageway and not the walkway because the glass fibre optic cables are under the pedestrian walkway. We will have to get that removed,” Minister Edghill said.

Further, Minister Edghill told reporters that the active use of the area by pedestrians is a major challenge.

“We do have a challenge and it was a challenge since yesterday, and it continues to be a challenge today – pedestrians moving in an area where heavy duty equipment are operating, excavator booms are swinging, trucks are dumping. Yesterday, we did make a request through the Guyana Police Force for Princess to allow some amount of pedestrian traffic through a side gate,” he explained.

In the interim, persons living and working in the area are asked to use alternative routes in the interest of safety.

The Public Works Minister said, at this time, it is unclear when the emergency repairs to the road will be completed, however, his ministry is thankful that with the help of the Guyana Water Incorporated, a damaged main in the area has been repaired.

The stockpile of the large quantity of aggregate stone on the empty plot nearby is being blamed for the situation. The Works Ministry has been stockpiling the material on the empty plot of land to supply government contractors carrying out various government jobs in nearby areas.

Minister Edghill said since last night four contractors have been using their heavy-duty equipment to redistribute the weight on the stockpile in an effort to deflate the pressure in the area.

Additionally, some 9,000 tonnes of the stone will be removed.

“We have since been able to arrange orders with contractors who need urgent supply of crusher run and for today, we expect to move about 9,000 out of the 30,000 tonnes off site. There are four contractors that are actively engaged in government contracts that need crusher run, so we have our auditors on site, there is a scale in the compound, so everything is being documented and that operation of loading of trucks and moving offsite has been continuing,” the minister explained.

He noted that while the ministry will continue to use the stockyard, the amount of materials stored there would be reduced to avoid a reoccurrence.

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