Diego highway hit by delays

And he has promised that Government will be using "whatever contractual means are available" to force the contractor (Junior Sammy) to work 24/7, on evenings and weekends," so that the highway can be finished by month-end.

Imbert, who had previously given an undertaking that the highway would be completed by January 31, yesterday said the contractor "had not appeared to have gotten the message yet." Noting that there had been rain, Imbert said round-the-clock work was needed.

"I would really like to get this highway finished and relieve the traffic congestion in Diego Martin," said Imbert, whose constituency is one of three PNM controlled areas which will benefit from the highway.

One of the difficulties, he noted, was that many local contractors had reached the limit of their capability. "They cannot perform because they have too much work," he said.

"There are contractors who have nine and ten contracts, some of these awarded since June last year, and they have not yet mobilised, because they can’t. They don’t have the men, the equipment and the managerial resources," he noted. He said the ministry planned to meet with these contractors to ask them to shed the load (and give work to other local contractors).

Imbert said Government would also have to look to foreign contractors more and more to deliver on its ambitious construction programmes.

He also said there was considerable interests by foreign contractors in tendering for local projects.