I’m assembling review team

In an interview yesterday, Armstrong said he was contacting specialists in all the disciplines needed, asking if they would be willing and able to come onboard, and was hoping to start work next week.

“The committee will be addressing the terms of reference and reviewing the documents of the project. We need to examine the environmental and social impact reports, as well as the hydrology studies,” he said.

However, he said, if the studies were never done, the committee could only make recommendations since the studies could not be completed in the six weeks left to the committee to do the review. He noted that the time constraint was a challenge, but said he would have a better idea of the workload and committee members next week.

Armstrong was recommended by the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Sector to do an independent review of the Debe to Mon Desir section of the highway, as part of a compromise reached between Government and the JCC and other civil society groups to address concerns of the Highway Re-route Movement.

Minister of Works and Infrastructure Emmanuel George said work would proceed on the areas already handed over to the contractor. Construtora OAS, a Brazilian heavy and civil construction company was awarded the contract to build the billion dollar highway.

Responding to questions at the St James Amphitheater after the launch of St James Experimental Traffic Plan George said the meeting with the Joint Consultative Council, a few days ago, “indicated that work would continue on the site at the areas already released to the contractor for work.” He said nothing had changed in this regard.

George repeated, that the contractor would not be given any work in the area between Debe and Mon Desir “except the work he already has.”

Questioned whether Monteil Trace and the Mon Desir interchange area was included in areas where no work should take place, George said he was not intimately familiar with specific areas.

“When you tell me Monteil Trace I don’t know where is Monteil Trace.”

Responding to another question he said the State would have to pay for delays of the Pt Fortin Highway. “Any delay in construction of this highway once it can be put at the feet of the Government, the government will have to pay,” he said.

Asked when work would begin on La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin, George said the road is included in a programme of work and a contract had been awarded. However, with Christmas approaching he said contractors did not like to work during the season. “It may not start before (Christmas) but certainly by January,” he said.