Highway needs foreign contractor, not local

This interchange was constructed by a well-known French contractor for a wellearned half a billion dollars.

I wish I could say the same for our local contractors.

Most of them dare not bid for contracts outside of TT .

Look at the massive pillars which support the interchange. OAS used similar pillars on the two bridges on the Mosquito Creek as part of the Point Fortin to San Fernando highway.

I have examined the eight-kilometre stretch from Dumfries Road, La Romaine, to St Mary’s Junction, South Oropouche. Two categories of work need to be done: construction of roadways and bridges. The roadways have trenches as deep as six to 15 feet. These trenches need to be compacted with aggregates from Dominica and Canada and not wholly from National Quarry.

A former supervisor of OAS Construtora has informed me that this is no job for a local contractor.

The chosen contractor would have to build a major roundabout just outside Paria Suites Hotel.

There is a 15-foot precipice which needs serious reinforcement works.

The second challenge is trying to build a road on a mangrove.

OAS was presented with a serious challenge to do so.

I do not believe local contractors possess the engineering acumen or experience to build a road on a sinking mangrove. It is not just putting cheap half and half on backfill from National Quarry.

Another engineering challenge to local contractors is the construction of the two bridges: one parallel to Gordineau Bridge and the other south of the Gordineau. Can our contractors construct bridges in the fast moving waters of the Gordineau River? No.

Of course they would bid for the contract and we risk the entire structure collapsing in a couple of months.

Then we have to look for a foreign contractor to complete the work.

The people of TT deserve better work from local contractors.

Minister of Works Fitzgerald Hinds has indicated that our roadways must last 15 to 20 years. I bed to defer.

Solomon Hochoy Highway is over 40 years and has stood the test of time. You guessed it. The highway was constructed by a foreign contractor.

All of our contractors working in concert still cannot produce a highway to last 40 years. Lord help us.

The level of engineering required in the constructing of bridges and roads from Dumfries Road to St Mary’s Junction is beyond local contractors.

I would like to see the French contractor that built the interchange at Grand Bazaar be given the Dumfries to St Mary’s contact. It would be money well spent.

JOHN JESSAMY Fyzabad