The Ministry of Works and Utilities is frantically working with the joint venture contractor on Slice 7 of the revised New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP), promising that a busy section of Baillou Hill Road will be open to traffic in time for the return to school by thousands of students next week.
Slice 7 comprises the portion of roadway between Robinson Road and the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.
Works Minister Bradley Roberts said in a press release that to date the joint venture contractor has substantially completed the clearing and earth works, lime rock and asphalt base course works, drainage and utility works and approximately 70 percent of the concrete sidewalk and curbing works.
The contractor partnership of Bethellﾒs Trucking and Heavy Equipment and Bahamas Hot Mix was invited to commence work on the project last November after winning the bid for the job, which was originally scheduled to take seven months.
“My ministry staff and the utility corporations are continually assisting the joint venture contractor for major completion of works to fully open the roadway to traffic before the schools re-open on September 4,” Minister Roberts said.
“All efforts are being made, weather permitting, to complete all asphalt base works before the opening of schools to minimise traffic congestion and (enable) re-opening of the road network. Furthermore, the traffic control blocking Graham Road will be removed to allow access to Baillou Hill Road in time for the re-opening of schools.”
Accounting for some of the delay, Minister Roberts said work on the project was not able to proceed at a faster pace because the joint venture contractor encountered difficult subsurface ground conditions in a number of areas.
The work was further hampered, he said, by inclement weather during the months of July and August.
He also indicated that Baillou Road was to have been closed between Robinson Road and the Grove Police Station over the weekend in an effort to complete pavement work in that area, and also pointed out that work would continue at other sections of the high-traffic roadway.
“The joint venture contractor encountered an old eight-inch water main between Baillou Hill roundabout and extending south,” he said.
“The replacement of this old water main with a new one has commenced and is anticipated to be completed by the end of August.”
Minister Roberts said, however, it is expected that by the first week of September various works would not yet be completed, including the installation of street lighting, final wearing course, pedestrian guard rails, pavement markings, traffic signs, pedestrian actuated traffic signals and landscaping.
He also reminded the public that other slices of the NPRIP are scheduled to begin early in 2007.
“Recently, the bid documents for Slice 3B (extension of Milo Butler Highway to Carmichael Road) were issued to five pre-qualified local contractors,” Minister Roberts said.
“The procurement procedures for the international slices ﾖ 1 and 2 ﾖ are now being finalised by the Inter American Development and it is expected that these international slices will go out to bid later this year.”
It is anticipated that the bidding process for Slice 3B would close in October of this year with a contract to be awarded as soon as possible thereafter, Minister Roberts said.
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
