BRAGSA to put halt to sub-standard road work

Contractual and supervisory measures will be put in place by the Roads, Buildings, and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) to prevent contractors from producing sub-standard work on roads throughout St.Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

Brian George, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BRAGSA, made this disclosure on Monday, June 14, 2010, at a press conference held to update the public on the status of the organization’s 2010 Road Maintenance Programme.

“From time immemorial, contractors would always try to cut corners and take steps to either use what we refer to as sub-standard materials or try to condense, and structure and organise the work, so that they can get as much commercial benefit as they can,” said George.

The measures that BRAGSA has put in place to address these issues were discussed by Kenyatta Alleyne, BRAGSA’s Manager of Infracsture Services.

Alleyne noted that approximately 35 contracts issued by the organization are in effect and at each project a technical officer from BRAGSA has been placed on site to ensure that the required standards are met. The technical officer will be empowered to put a halt to work that is not being implemented to BRAGSA’s standard, said Alleyne.

He added that specific clauses have been placed in the contracts to address issues of acceptable standards, as well as inconveniences to the public .

Alleyne further stated that the quality of material used and the actual work carried on in projects will also be examined.

“There is even a defects liability period on the contracts. However, the quality of compaction, the quality of materials that are placed, even the quality of the asphalt when placed and how it’s compacted and compressed, rolled…all these factors we will be paying attention to,” he said.

Meanwhile, George announced that the road maintenance programme which started in March 2010 is estimated to cost EC$8.28 million.

He disclosed that under the initiative, work will be carried out on mainland St.Vincent and on the Grenadine Islands of Bequia, Canouan and Union Island.

The work covers asphalt repairs, concrete repairs, repairs and reconstruction of concrete drains, as well as upgrades of roads to more developed paved access roads.

“Currently, we are in the process of implementing approximately half, fifty per cent of that programme. In this regard, we have identified works to the value of approximately EC$4.2 million which are currently in programme,” said George.

George disclosed that a drain cleaning programme is also being carried out at a cost of EC$500,000 in which BRAGSA seeks to resolve potential issues that would contribute to the further deterioration of the roads and could also be a hazard in the events of floods and heavy rain.

He mentioned that BRAGSA has created a Pot Hole Patching Crew and a Masonry Repair Crew to address issues that need urgent attention.

The press conference was chaired by BRAGSA’s Communications Officer, Roxanne Marshall, who encouraged the public
to feel free to lodge their complaints to BRAGSA.