Work in progress on highway
The notion that all work was to stop on the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Golconda to Point Fortin Highway was an error in communication, says president of the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) Dr Carson Charles. Although a resolution was reached by civil society groups and Government on Monday over the controversial leg of the $7.1 billion highway, Charles said the agreement never indicated that all work would stop.
Instead, he said, it meant no new work would start in the next 60 days. Meanwhile, work on the Fyzabad and Siparia interchanges was to continue. Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday, Charles explained that Government had contractual obligations to Brazilian firm OAS Constuctura and therefore could not bring the project to a complete halt.
He said: "In the agreement, it stated that works would have continued at locations released to the contractors. This refers to these areas that there are contractors because we have contractual obligations to fulfil. "What it means is they will not be given any new areas to work on.
"Even where they are working, there is an understanding not to demolish any structures, homes, properties or fences without people's consent in the Debe to Mon Desir area. That will limit them fairly much and we know the contractor will try his best to minimise any situation of conflict."
Charles said the agreement did not hinder the progress of the highway because it came at a fortunate time as contractors usually take a break during the Christmas season. He said all work was expected to stop within the next two weeks and would resume early next month. Charles added: "We don't expect any financial impact on the contract.
"The agreement will not cause any conflict of interest, as, in our opinion, it allows them to do what they have to do and not put forward claims if we halted the project. "The agreement also falls in December, which is convenient to us, in that contractors usually shut down for Christmas."
On Monday, Joint Consultative Council president Afra Raymond, who was part of the meeting, told reporters there was an agreement that all work would stop on the disputed segment of the project. However, Charles said he did not know why Raymond made those comments when the document stated otherwise. He said it might have been a breakdown in communication between Raymond and reporters.
When a news team from the T&T Guardian revisited Mon Desir and Fyzabad yesterday work on the proposed sites of the interchanges, had progressed much further. This time the contractors continued working when the media crew arrived, while OAS officials were seen leaving the site.
Charles said contractors were engaged in "grubbing and grading", the process of clearing trees and bush and levelling the land for construction. He said by next March, Nidco should open the first phase of the highway to traffic, minus the Golconda interchange. This segment runs from Golconda to Debe. He added the entire highway would be opened in phases.
Nidco is concentrating on the Point Fortin to La Brea portion and Charles said design work already is being done in addition to Petrotrin's capping of 65 oil wells. He added the agreement between Government and civil society groups was satisfactory and there were concessions on both sides.
He said the Highway Re-route Movement had gained a lot from the agreement, as they had a prestigious body in the JCC, which consists of engineers, architects, planners, surveyors and designers, doing a review.