By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Senior Engineer Walter Willis, attached to the Ministry of Public Works told reporters on Friday (January 31) that the Access Road to Amaila Falls will be completed by what is a new deadline, March 31, 2014.
According to Willis, 80% of the road is reported to have been completed at the close of 2013 when compared to a mere 30% at the end of 2012.
Government had begun construction of the road in 2010 by Makeswhar ‘Fip’ Motilall’s Synergy Holdings Inc for US$15.4M after it was eyeing the possibility of constructing a Hydropower Plant at the falls.
The realization of the Plant was stalled after the company contracted to construct it – Sithe Global Inc – pulled out citing the lack of political consensus.
But despite this the administration had insisted on completing the works on the road. The road has since been divided into sections and distributed to several contractors following initial hiccups with Synergy Holdings Inc.
Willis said section 2A is 89% complete while 2B is 32%, section three is 73% complete, section 4 is 99% complete, section 5 is 98% complete, section 6 is 55% complete while section 7 is 74% complete.
He added that the weather was a major constraint to progress in 2013 and expects that with fair whether the deadline should be met. He also noted that a study is going to determine how much it will cost to maintain the road annually. There are several bridges and crossings to be constructed along the stretch of road.
President Donald Ramotar at a recent press conference at his office told reporters that based on his most recent report; the contractors were less than two miles from the Amaila Falls site.
