The National Works Agency (NWA), on Monday June 2, 2014, commenced the rehabilitation of the Belmont to Whitehouse corridor in Eastern Westmoreland.
The project which commenced in 2012 was put on hold to facilitate the replacement of National Water Commission water mains. The pipelines have now been installed and commissioned into service, and the NWA is now moving forward with the much needed rehabilitation of the corridor.
Community Relations Officer of the NWA’s Western, Janel Ricketts, says that on Monday, local contractor, Asphaltic Concrete Enterprise Limited commenced the bushing of verges and the cleaning of outlets along the corridor. She says that this is an important first step in the rehabilitation process which involves significant drainage improvement and the reshaping and asphalting of the corridor.
Ms. Ricketts says the project is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank at a cost of approximately $625 million. She says that this sum is higher than the original contract sum which was just under $300 million dollars.
This is due to a change in scope of the project. According to Ms. Ricketts, activities associated with the laying of the pipeline, as well as the further deterioration of the roadway, since the award of the original contract, resulted in the Agency having to increase the scope of the project, making allowance for an additional three kilometers of roadway.
The initial plan was to rehabilitate in sections, 13.5 kilometers of the roadway. Other sections were to be patched. The new scope of works will see the 16.5 kilometers stretch being completely rehabilitated. This will complement the five and half kilometer section from Belmont to Ferris Cross which was recently reconstructed.
The project is expected to be project is expected to be completed by February 2015.
