This relief was assured following Thursday’s signing of a $744,495.57 contract for a local construction company to conduct rehabilitation and slope stabilization works to the roadways.

The contract was awarded to Roy Garraway’s Quality Construction Limited who out-bid seven other companies to secure the project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Premier Andrew Fahie made it abundantly clear that the company - which has been awarded a few contracts since his tenure - had followed all the necessary procedures to be rightfully selected for the job.

“I want to state that Quality Construction has won a few bids but please let me educate the public. They worked for them. They tendered for them and the government didn’t give them anything,” Fahie said.

“I had to say that because there are some persons on the street who are saying that, and sometimes when you don’t put the correct information in the domain of the public, misinformation becomes facts,” he explained.

Difficulty traversing the area

Transportation & Works Minister Kye Rymer said he was delighted to have the contract signed so that works could finally begin to make the area safe for the motoring public.

“Residents and motorists in the area will recall the four areas where there are plywood barricades where they have been erected following the 2017 natural disasters along this section up on the Ridge Road … As a result, it was very difficult for the safe passage of the two-way traffic in some areas particularly during the night due to the narrowness of the roadway,” the minister stated.

Scope of works detailed

Minister Rymer also detailed the scope of works which are expected to be conducted by Quality Construction within the coming months.

“The works are for the stabilisation and road rehabilitation of four distinct yet separate side areas which will see the construction at Site One of a 79-foot length by nine-foot-high concrete reinforced retaining wall. At Site Two, 49-foot-long by 10-foot-high concrete reinforced retaining wall. Site Three — 94-foot-long by 10-foot-high concrete reinforced retaining wall; and at site four, we’ll have a 177 feet long by 9-foot-high concrete reinforced retaining wall,” Rymer stated.

He added: “The combined works will also see the total construction of over 1,010 feet of reinforced curb and slipper drain, 656 feet of reinforced concrete curb wall, 213 feet of reinforced box drain, 66 feet of stone pitch trapezial drains and 410 feet of guard rails. The road carriage way in these areas will have a constant road width of 20 feet to allow for the safe passage of all types of vehicles.”

This is one of the many projects which government, through the RDA, is executing under the Road, Slopes and Coastal Defense Programme funded through loans from the Caribbean Development Bank.

The other projects include Great Mountain 1 works, Great Mountain 2, Little Dix Hill, Bob’s Gas Station road, Long Trench, Ballast Bay, Fish Bay road and the Carrot Bay Coastal Defense works.