After announcing in Parliament Wednesday a further drawback to the already stalled multi-million dollar New Providence road project, Works Minister Bradley Roberts projected yesterday that the Harrold Rd. Dualling and Rehabilitation Project would be completed within a week of its deadline.
Originally included in the troubled New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP), the Harrold Rd. blueprint was in February awarded to the Bahamian joint venture partnership of Bethel Trucking and Heavy Equipment and Bahamas Hot Mix.
A deadline for the Harrold Road works was set for March 15, 2005. “However due to unforeseen circumstances, including Hurricane Frances, the contractor has so far been awarded six days extension time,” Mr Roberts told reporters in a press conference with project supervisors and Works officials at his Ministry.
Judging by the present progression of work, and barring any further abatement, he said, the contract would be completed by March 21.
Back to normal
Traffic congestion resulting from closed lanes into the Milo Butler Highway/Harrold Rd. roundabout, could be expected to immediately resume some semblance of normalcy it was announced. This was being made possible as construction in the area had been completed and both lanes of the highway open since Wednesday.
With a final layer of asphalt to be applied in the area, however, further “relatively minor” delays could be expected.
Between Bethel Ave. and Hill View Rd., a diversion of eastbound traffic to a new eastbound carriageway and westbound traffic to a lane bound in that direction would be implemented as of noon yesterday, Mr Roberts advised.
Eastbound carriageway
To allow for existing roads to be rebuilt, it is planned for both east and west flowing traffic to also be moved to the new eastbound carriageway.
“Progressive phases” in this shift will include the opening of the section of Harrold Rd. from Bethel Ave. to Yellow Elder Way by Christmas and the chunk from Yellow Elder Way to Baillou Hill Rd. by the end of January, 2005.
Stenoak goes belly-up
Associated Asphalt, the U.K.- based construction firm had secured the initial NPRIP contract on April 5, 2001 for $52.2 million. However, the arrangement was annulled in November 2002 after its parent company, Stenoak, became insolvent.
Of the 19 corridors involved in the deal only Pinewood Gardens Dr., Charles Saunders Highway and Gladstone Rd. were completed.
Removing the Harrold Rd. works from the NPRIP project, Government in concert with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-which provided loans for the works- excercised a standard vetting process.
Enter and exit Jose Cartelone
The Argentinean, Jose Cartelone Construction Company after valuing NPRIP at between $75 million and $80 million entered negotiations with Government on June 23, 2004. It agreed to provide a 30 percent surety bond or a 10 percent bank guarantee for performance bond by August 24, 2004.
Unable to secure the performance bond the company was given an extension to Aug. 28, 2004. But this deadline and two others could not be met, reportedly due to strict requirements in the IDB procurement process.
Having expressed “strong concerns” with the IDB over its procurement policies government is now working with a view to segmenting NPRIP into smaller contracts for local and international contracts.
Such projects would be similar to the Harrold Rd. undertaking and would endeavour to give mid-sized companies here and abroad a chance to compete for a piece of the road work action.
Said Mr Roberts: “Government anticipates that the packages will be spread over a 30 to 36 month period and work on NPRIP will be substantially complete by mid-2007.”
Raymond Kongwa, The Nassau Guardian
