Works Minister gives ‘sober’ update on Point highway

Hinds said it was contrary to, what he described as, the “chaotic and wasteful and reckless situation embarked upon by the last government.” “We promised you sobriety.

We promised you good judgement and sense. You must agree with me that the approach I have just outlined is characterised by those attributes,” Hinds said.

He was speaking with reporters yesterday while at Southern Main Road, Chatham, where he, together with the MP for Point Fortin, Edmund Dillon, made a site visit to a major landslide along the road.

Hinds recalled that government had terminated the contract with Brazilian firm OAS Construtora, the main contractor in the construction of the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin.

Having done so, it was open to the company to challenge that notice of termination. Hinds noted that he was instructed by the leadership of the National Infrastructure Development Company’s (Nidco) on Monday afternoon, that OAS Construtora has begun “some of these manoeuvres”. “We are watching to see how those play out. In the meantime, we are proceeding to recover some money that would have been put up in the form of bonds by that contractor in respect of the work.” Nidco is the project manager of the project.

Hinds noted that government has engaged the services of professionals to conduct an assessment of the work already done on the project.

In addition the professionals will cost it and “more importantly now” assess exactly what has to be done to complete the design.

He added that government will break up the remainder of the work into a number of packages.

These, Hinds said, will be made available for open tender to local operators in the construction and road development field.

“Hopefully, upon successful completion of that phase, these contractors will be put to work and we expect that within twoand- a-half to three years, the highway will be completed.” In March, following weeks of intense protests for outstanding wages, more than 800 workers of financially embattled Construtora OAS were laid off by the company.