The construction of a permanent Manzanilla Main Road is expected to be completed by the end of this month, says Works and Infrastructure Minister Suruj Rambachan. The entire cost of a temporary and permanent structure fell below the expected $57 million, he added. Rambachan was speaking at yesterday’s sitting of the Senate held at the Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain. He was responding to several questions on the Order Paper which were put forward by PNM Senator Camille Robinson-Regis.
“It’s not going to cost that much. I think it is going to cost way less. The rest of the funding that is saved we will have to use it to deal with drainage, especially on the side of the swamp, and channel the water into the new sections that we have rebuilt,” Rambachan said. Regarding whether the investigation had been completed into the reason for the main road crumbling into the sea last November, Rambachan said the probe was continuing.
But, in giving preliminary information, he said, “What we found was several things which could have contributed to it. “One was the porosity of the natural drainage which could have contributed to it and drainage influenced by humans. There is a relatively high topography of the beach dune in comparison to the elevation of the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road, creating a natural impediment to drainage.”
Ongoing coastal erosion, which is recorded to average two to four metres per year, especially along critical areas of the road, also contributed to the disaster. He said the road condition and the topographical surveys had been completed. Responding to Senator Faris Al-Rawi’s query as to who were the contractors, Rambachan listed them as Coosal’s Construction Company Ltd, Jusamco Pavers Ltd, Danny’s Enterprises Co Ltd and Ragoonath Singh and Company.
“Where we have saved money is the material we have dug out, we have been able to crush it and reuse it—recycle it into the roadway,” Rambachan said. Future plans, he added, included widening the Manzanilla/Mayaro Road. But there was a heated exchange over the public procurement legislation. Rambachan vociferously criticised the PNM for refusing to support the fight against corruption.
To which Al-Rawi responded, “Has the Cabinet made a decision for the proclamation of this bill with respect to this project and also the Mayaro to San Fernando project?” Shouts of “That is inappropriate” were heard from the Government bench. Unwilling to yield, Al-Rawi stood up to pose another question but was chastised by Senate president Timothy Hamel-Smith who said that question fell out of the ambit of the one previously laid and that Rambachan could refuse to answer.
Al-Rawi then asked Hamel-Smith, “Could you tell me what that question I asked is?” In reply, Hamel Smith told Al-Rawi he would not permit him to question the Chair. Al-Rawi asked Rambachan whether the $57 million spent by Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (Pure) was done under the central tenders board process. Rambachan, however, could not answer. Instead, he asked Al-Rawi to file the question so it could be answered in full.