Government signs contracts for Windward Highway

Earlier this week government signed three contracts that will facilitate the continued rehabilitation of the Windward Highway.

But Acting Prime Minister Sir Louis Straker, signing on behalf of Government, wasted no time in challenging the contractors to carry out their work in a timely fashion with minimum inconvenience to the driving public.

Last year, Dipcon Engineering, one of the firms that was awarded a contract to continue work on the Windward Highway, was heavily criticized by government for failing to keep their deadline on a portion of road running from Brown’s Town to Sans Souci. The company was penalized EC$510, 352.26 for being almost one year late.{{more}}

Ian Singh, representing Dipcon Engineering at the Monday, August 14, contract signing which took place at Cabinet Room, said the company has put measures in place to guarantee that the mishaps which happened last year, would not reoccur.

Sir Louis signed contracts of close to $45 million with contracting firms Dipcon Engineering, Kelectric Company Ltd., and Barbadian firm C.O Williams, to carry out work on two remaining lots of Phase Two, as well as the Phase Three portion of the Windward Highway.

The contract signed between Dipcon Engineering and Government for the construction of Lot Two of Phase Two of the project is for EC$8,480, 000. The project covers the area from Rabacca to Sandy Bay, during a period of 14 months starting from 30 days after the signing of the contract.

Kelectric Company Ltd. has been awarded the contract for Lot Three of Phase Two at a cost of EC$13, 419, 000. The company will rehabilitate the area from Fancy to Sandy Bay.

Phase Three which is from Diamond to Kingstown will be done by C.O Williams at a cost of EC$21, 840, 000.

Sir Louis challenged the contractors to implement the contracts soonest and get the work done on schedule.

“We’ve had some unfortunate experiences in the past but we’ve had people who had really kept to the schedule. We trust that each contractor can do his work with a minimum of inconvenience to the driving public.”

The Acting Prime Minister said his administration is mindful of the condition of the roads, as well as the promise that was made in their 2005 Manifesto, page 60, where it was said that in its second term the ULP Government will rebuild entirely the main Windward Highway from Fancy to Rabacca, Rabacca to Langley Park, Sans Souci to Diamond and Diamond to Kingstown.

Sir Louis added: “You would fully appreciate the fact why we take a justifiable pride in the Rabacca Crossings, this has been a dream unfulfilled by previous administrations, and it has taken the ULP administration to bring this into fruition so that we can connect the people across the Dry River with the people in the rest of country.”

Sir Louis pointed out there has been tremendous wear and tear on the road system for the past years with the increase in vehicular traffic. This resulted in a feasibility study being carried out. The results of the study proved that it was necessary to rehabilitate the primary road, which was of great importance to the social and economic development of St.Vincent and the Grenadines.