Engineers: More transparency needed on Highway 1 project

Though welcoming a swift response from the Ministry of Works and Water Resources (MWWR) on several issues raised recently over the execution of the Highway1 project, President of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) Trevor Browne is maintaining that the public should have access to some information.

Browne said, in a statement, that while he had no intention of engaging in a back and forth with Ministry officials, some points had to be made clear.

In addition to questioning the level of planning that was done prior to the start of the $15.3 million West Coast project, Browne accused the Ministry of not involving private consulting engineers.

He also questioned what measures were put in place to ensure the project would finish on time and within budget, and how contracts and other employment particulars were done.

However, a statement from the Ministry insisted that the necessary checks and balances were done, highly-qualified engineers from the Ministry were involved in the planning process, and that the necessary employment practices were being adhered to.

Not fully satisfied with the response, Browne on Thursday questioned the level of transparency of the measures in place to ensure cost overruns were not massive and that the project would finish within the stipulated time.

“Careful reading of our statement will show that BAPE questioned the fact that important information had not been shared with the public, and that we as a professional body have been unable to find where these very important issues had been properly addressed. We are therefore pleased that the Ministry is prepared to provide answers to the critical questions raised and, more importantly, to take responsibility for the success or failure of this very expensive and potentially disruptive project,” he said.

“Our concerns relate to the adequacy of project preparation, in respect of designs, construction documents and contracts to ensure that the scope of the works required is clearly understood and priced by the contractors in advance of the works.

“Additionally, the understanding of matters such as working hours, worker and public safety requirements, traffic management, and related issues. These are essential to avoid conflict and disputes overpayments after the works have started; and ensuring schedule and cost control, so that the works are actually completed within the contractually-agreed timeframes and prices, without basis for claims for extra time and cost by the contractors,” insisted Browne.

Under the 6.5 kilometre rehabilitation of Highway 1, running from the Frank Walcott Roundabout to Seaview Road, St James, it is expected that officials will install 12-inch and six-inch water mains; a gas main; FLOW and Barbados Light & Power ducts with approximately 150 manholes; replace six drainage culverts with larger ones; install concrete sidewalks; and mill and pave an asphalt road surface.

This phase is to be completed by the end of next month.

Browne insisted that the questions being raised by BAPE were not about the competency of the public sector engineers, but about “the capacity of the Ministry to achieve the completion of the proposed project within the planned budget, time, expected quality, and to the satisfaction of the many stakeholders involved”.

“The use of independent consultants also provides the added benefits of transparency and independence in the certification of payments of public funds to contractors,” he added.

“If the MWWR is therefore suggesting that our areas of concern have already been properly addressed internally by their professional staff, then it only remains to have this reflected in the actual project execution. However, we maintain our position that for transparency, such information should be available to the public, to professional bodies, and certainly to the contractors involved on the project,” said the BAPE president.

He added that given the current status of much of Barbados’ infrastructure under the management of MTWWR, “BAPE continues to be amazed that the Government of Barbados – and particularly this Ministry, which should be taking a lead in this regard – continues to disregard such tried and proven international best practices, and to do so with such extremely expensive and highly complex infrastructural projects including sewerage, water, roadworks and building works”.