REMARKS BY MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKS
HONOURABLE MARK VANTERPOOL
AT THE CONTRACT SIGNING BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLAND
AND
AUTLAND HEAVY EQUIPMENT CO. LIMITED;
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLAND
AND
QUALITY CONSTRUCTION LIMITED
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015
10:30 A.M.

Greetings….

Today marks another significant milestone in our Government's efforts to complete remedial work caused by Sub-Tropical Storm Otto in 2010.

You would recall that the Government of the Virgin Islands entered into a $15.67 million loan agreement with the Caribbean Development Bank CDB in 2012, to undertake a number of roads and bridges rehabilitation projects throughout the Territory.

I am very pleased to report today that we are making good progress with these works.

The projects we have already completed are:

1)         Road and drainage improvement works in Palestina, done by G-Unit Construction to the tune of Eight Hundred, Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred Forty-Eight Dollars and Fifty-Eight Cents ($819,848.58);

2)         Embankment stabilization and road reinstatement works in Ballast Bay, done by Autland Heavy Equipment Company Limited for Six Hundred, Thirty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred Thirty-Seven Dollars and Thirty-Two Cents ($633,737.32);

3)         Drainage improvements works in Parham Town done by Sandwise Ltd. for the contract sum of One Million, Five Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Five Dollars and Seventy Cents ($1,565,505.70);

4)         The installation of a retaining wall at Thomas Land done by Autland Heavy Equipment Company Limited for Three Hundred, Thirty-Two Thousand, Four Hundred Eighty-Three Dollars and Eighty-Six Cents ($332,483.86); and

5)         A Planning Regulations contract for Fifty-Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($52,750.00), was awarded to Tira Green in April 2014.

These contracts amounted to Three Million, Four Hundred and Four Thousand, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Dollars and Forty-Six Cents ($3,404,325.46).

The sixth and seventh contracts signed today, which amount to a total of One Million, Seven Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirteen Dollars and Fifty-Nine Cents ($1,711,813.59), will see works being carried out by Quality Construction Limited in Huntum’s Ghut and Autland Heavy Equipment Co. Limited in Long Trench.

After the passage of the storm in 2010, upper Huntum’s Ghut became a severely damaged road as a result of uncontrolled run-off.

The scope of works in this area involves the construction of approximately 980 feet of reinforced concrete road pavement and the construction of a combination of reinforced concrete box culverts, kerbs and slipper and swale drains, approximately 2500 feet long.

There were also three separate slope failure sections along the lower Huntum’s Ghut Road and these are now being addressed.

In addition, the works include the construction of three mass concrete/boulder pack matrix retaining structures and the rehabilitation of damaged pavement along the roads.

The contract for these works in Huntum’s Ghut has been awarded to Quality Construction Limited, in the amount of One Million, Forty-One Thousand, Five Hundred Fifty-One Dollars and Seventy-Five Cents ($1,041,551.75) and the project is expected to last for nine (9) months. 

In the meantime, infrastructure along the Long Trench Road was also severely damaged by the occurrence of landslides and uncontrolled runoff water.

Sections of the roadway were undermined and cracks within the pavement were further intensified along the left lane.

Infrastructural rehabilitation works in the form of pavement reconstruction, counteractive drainage through rehabilitation, construction and earth retention structures are therefore required to make the failed sections of road safe to travel on.

The scope of works at Long Trench involves:

1)         Construction of three (3) reinforced concrete retaining walls;

2)         Resurfacing of the damaged and undermined pavement, along the left side of the road; and

3)         Construction of a new drainage system, which includes construction of a pipe culvert and construction of a reinforced concrete cascading drain at the outfall of the culverts within the site. These drains will be used to channel water safely from the culvert to their respective outlets.

This contract has been awarded to Autland Heavy Equipment Co. Limited, in the amount of Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Two Hundred Sixty-One Dollars and Eighty-Four Cents ($670,261.84).

Work is expected to last for about six (6) months.

In terms of other CDB loan funded projects in the Virgin Islands:

Works at Fortune Ghut are progressing well and should be completed by the end of the year and rehabilitation works at Harrigan Estate will soon be out to tender. 

I encourage all qualifying contractors to bid for the execution of the prescribed works when they are advertised.

This is a unique opportunity for you to take part in the rebuilding and continued development of our Virgin Islands.

I wish to commend the staff at the Ministry of Communications and Works and the Public Works Department, including the Coordinator Dr. Drexel Glasgow and Ms. Haley Trott, for their hard work in arranging the execution of these projects.

I also wish to commend the local companies that have been awarded these contracts here today.

I look forward to the successful and timely completion of these two projects for the benefit of the people of the Virgin Islands.

Thank you very much and may God continue to bless our beautiful Virgin Islands.