MORE ATTENTION TO BE PAID TO PAROCHIAL ROADS
Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government, the Honourable Robert Montague, yesterday signed contracts for the rehabilitation of approximately 10km of parochial roads. The contracts, which were signed at the offices of the Department of Local Government, were in relation to Phase 2 of the European Union Flex Programme.
The EU Flex Programme was initiated in 2007 in a bid to facilitate the rehabilitation of parochial roads islandwide. Under the agreement the European Union provided €2mil to be spent over a 3year period in the rehabilitation of roads in nine (9) parishes. The improvement work was to be undertaken in (2) phases.
Some delay was experienced in the start up of the project due to hurricane Gustav as such Phase 1 was implemented in August 2008 through to June 2009. Sixteen (16) roads were rehabilitated in the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland at a cost of $90,678,666.15.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Montague disclosed that Phase 2 of the EU Flex programme will see an additional eighteen (18) roads being rehabilitated in the parishes of Hanover, St. James, Trelawny, St. Ann and St. Catherine at an estimated cost of $143,319,862.00.
Mr. Montague urged contractors to ensure that work done is of a high quality and is within budget. He also cautioned that there were several persons, many of whom were present, who would be keeping their eyes on the contractors. Several Councillors, Mayors and Members of Parliament from affected communities, including the Honourable Dr. Horace Chang Minister of Water and Housing and MP for St James Northern, were present to witness the contract signing.
The Minister thanked the EU for its continued support of local development, and gave Mr. Marco Mazzocchi Alemani, Ambassador to the EU his personal commitment to ensuring that this project goes according to plan, ‘our continued good relationship with the EU is not one we would wish to sully’ he said.
Work in this second phase of the EU Flex programme is expected to be completed in nine (9) months. Contracts were awarded to C.A.B. Constructions, Construction Solutions, Odel Allen Construction and Chin’s Equipment Rental & Construction limited.
Contact: Miss Janett Peters
Communications Unit
Tel: 920-8152
Fax: 754-1011
