Bridge Building at Cassava Ghaut
The woes continue for the Road project that began in October 2011. Plagued with delays of one kind or another, ordinary folk complaining that activities seem not to follow any plan, a Ministry accused of poor procurement practices, and finally closures in the first week of May. Recommencement of the project now scheduled to start July 1.
Then plans, according to Public Works Director, Ron Beardsley, of a methodology to recommence following acceptance of a proposal put to the funders UK DFID.
Meanwhile, amidst the rumours surrounding the political fallouts, during the time of the PWD workshop closure, the PWD Minister Charles Kirnon, showed disgust at the action when he responded to a question on the matter in the Legislative Assembly.
He corrected firstly that, “The A1 Road Project was suspended and not stopped…” pointing out later, that DFID in their release on the suspension admitted: “DFID are aware of the challenges that the project has faced with regard to the material supply.”
The Minister noted and the PWD director concurred that the funding agreed more than six years ago remained the same at the beginning of the project works, which meant that before the project began there was never enough money to complete the project. DFID later provided some needed funds, but problems of one kind another, made it obvious that total funds would not complete the road from Salem to St. John’s.
Today the director told TMR that there is quarried materials, “which we have now imported on to the island so we’re okay for aggregate,” but recommencement is now delayed again because of the need for a new generator for the resurfacing material machine.
He said that generator is, “arriving here next week…we are working towards the idea of commencing activity the following Monday,” July 1.
Beardsley also revealed the Ministry received, “written confirmation from DFID that they are happy for us to continue under the terms of the new proposal.”
Geothermal Progress
Following reports that the first well was completed and that testing was about to begin to confirm the resource, its quality and quantity, Ron Beardsley, PWD director told TMR, “we are mobilizing a specialist company to come and do some long term testing on well #1.”
This he explained is after, “short-term test is just to know is there any potential here or do we have any temperature, do we have pressure…”
“Another test on the first well,” Beardsley said, confirmed yes. “His opinion this was very positive for a production well,” explaining, “you then have to leave everything to be stabilized…”
He also said that the pressure of the well, “is over 200 bars,” indicating, “The last temperature reading we took, it was 205°C (approx. 401°F) and it’s still heating up,” as they wait for, “a huge column of water in the well… relying on pressure build up down below to push it up…”
On the second well the report is they have gone down over 1,300 meters. There are no details of late reports that there is another temporary breakdown at well #2.
