DR. FENTON Ferguson, minister of state in the transport and works ministry, has urged contractors working on the Darliston to Carmel and Woodstock to New Market main roads in Westmoreland not to bow to pressure from extortionists and to try to complete the project on time and within budget.
The minister made his comments at the signing of two contracts valued at $133 million for the completion and rehabilitation of the main roads last Friday in Westmoreland.
Dr. Fenton Ferguson signed on behalf of the government, while Senior Director for Project Implementation at the National Works Agency (NWA), Earl Patterson signed for the agency.
Signing for the contracting companies, Surrey Paving and Aggregates Ltd. and General Paving Company, were Leslie Chang and Anthony Matheson, respectively.
Dr. Ferguson said that work on both roads should begin in two weeks, and should last for four months. He urged the contractors not to bow to pressure from extortionists, and urged them to strive to complete the work on time and within budget.
IMPROVEMENT DETAILS
Outlining the scope of work to be done, the State Minister said the drainage system on the road from Woodstock to Newmarket would be significantly im-proved, while asphaltic concrete would be used on the driving surface. He said that the contract would entail improvement work on some 14.25 kilometres of roadway, at a cost of $107 million.
"The other road section down for improvement is the 15.9 kilometres stretch from Darliston to Carmel to New Market, and this section is being done at a cost of just over $26 million," he noted.
Dr. Ferguson pointed out that over the last two years, the ministry has spent in excess of $400 million on roads in the parish of Westmoreland, through several road improvement programmes.
He said this was part of the Government's commitment to put the necessary infrastructure in place to facilitate development in the country.
