Here’s why government’s asphalt plant hasn’t been commissioned
Director of Public Works, Jeremy Hodge has apologised to residents for failing to follow through on government’s promise to commission its new asphalt plant by June 2023.
“I know this is a disappointment, I know this has caused some embarrassment for the government because we were all excited about the commissioning. I apologise to the Minister (Kye Rymer) and the public because, at this point in time, we expected to be on the ground addressing the roads,” Hodge explained at a press conference last week.
He said the commissioning has been delayed because Public Works has learnt that it must purchase additional parts to facilitate the smooth running of the asphalt plant. Hodge also explained that it will take some time for the items to be shipped to BVI.
In addition to additional parts, Hodge said it is better to wait for the Emancipation festivities to end before commissioning the plant, as this will give his team a better opportunity to work with the company that will help to bring the plant into commission.
The new asphalt plant was purchased after the previous one was damaged by the 2017 hurricanes. The Public Works Department said it will save taxpayers more money when a government-owned plant is used, as private companies usually charge a considerable amount of cash to fix roads.
“Paving one mile of road 24 feet wide, three inches thick would cost north of $690,000. [But] having our own plant will cost the government one-third of that and will allow the department to work year-round on our roads,” Hodge explained earlier this year.
Once the plant is brought into commission, the Public Works Department will recruit young men and women under the government’s RATED (Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment, and Development) programme to assist with building roads in the community.
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… it would be much better, albeit with some additional tyre noise but lees damage and potholes from the trucks, if we just concreted them.
Also, will we ever learn that asphalt needs to be laid on concrete and not on dirt.
This is embarrassing to say the least. Didn’t the director know what was needed to get this plant commissioned? After all this talk about a plant being ready for July you don’t have the parts for it? This is inexcusable! Didn’t the minister check to see what was going on? More incompetence.
TOO MANY INCOMPETENTS
no need to worry we never expected you guys to keep any of your promises in the time that you said you would or even at all
The plant is here and now they realize that additional parts are needed. A total f*** up as usual.
ANOTHER MILLION MORE WILL FINISH THE JOB
So if you dont intend to use the private plant, what will the owners do with it? Just private driveways?
Ok 2017 was 6 years ago. Still nothing. 1st patch the holes once the plant is operational then we can expect roads to be dug up and correctly installed.
Ive seen the roads being installed. A guy with a watering can in front of the paying machine putting down the tar mac is why it lifts up after the 1st rain. It needs to be stock to the surface and not just compacted on air.
Cane Garden to Rudys bar was completed in a day.
This is why its so lumpy as 1st rain just washed it off.
We are hoping that you are getting professional help and guidance on how to apply and maintain the roads for a long term fix.
Today, most asphalt is reclaimed. The machine scrapes it up, melts it, adds whatever is needed, and lays it back down. On small islands (or anywhere, really) asphalt should not end up in landfill, to be replaced by new, imported asphalt.
It is a falsehood that asphalt has to be laid on concrete. Asphalt roads are a typical flexible pavement which is laid on dirt. It consists of several layers, ie, the bottom layer is the subgrade, subbase( optional), base and surface course.
We need to stop putting square pegs in round holes. The Public Works Director position is a technical position and should be staffed with a civil engineer, preferably an experienced civil engineer. We also need to shop putting no on-managers In management positions and admin folks in technical positions.
From what many have seen that department use to be headed by engineers for years. A well seasoned experienced administrator who knows how to pull people and efforts together will do: it is not the head who goes out and do the work but make sure it happens and happens right. What are the engineers doing? The head is quite capable; just tell the ministry to give the department its financial resources it needs to function. If I was the Director I was not taking the blame. Incompetence rules at the ministry of communications and works, little girls in big people posts.
You can buy a new car if you can’t drive it’s useless.
Did they think to order spares?
Clearly, I take a different position on staffing the Public Works Director position. The Public Works Director must be the top technical staffer in the department, technical advisor to the Premier and other ministers, etc. If the Premier for example has a technical questions and needs urgent advice during a disaster or even during normal day-to-day operations, he should be able to pick up the phone and call the director who should have the knowledge, experience, etc, to provide quick answer(s) on basic technical request without having to consult with subordinate(s). This is an awkward position to be in if he/she cannot. Further, how does the Director supervise, review subordinates work or even review and approve designs, etc, if he/she does not know pullet from fowl about even basic engineering?
Moreover, the Public Works Director is more than coordinating labour skills to get work done. Thats sound more like a general foreman coordinating approve work. The downsizing of the top technical position in PWD to admin folks have reduce PWD to at as best doing minor maintenance tasks and outsourcing of technical work to other departments or agencies. PWD is just a useless joke organization where farming out the the top job to cronies is a disservice to it surviving as a viable department. Jus as chief contract out what is left to a private entity. We made the same mistake in Water and Sewage that we are doing in Public Works. Public Works challenges are not just finance, ie, technical leadership, management acumen, planning, organizing, etc. Again, stop putting non-managers into management positions and expecting positive outcome.
Simple solution. Bring in an overseas company to deal with the main roads.
@Manjack, true that.
These fools can’t even issue certificates to students who pass EPE exams. What do you expect?
You cant fix the roads by pouring asphalt on top of what we have now. That has been tried before and it doesn’t last 5 minutes.
We need proper foundations, drainage , cambering and surfacing.
That costs in the short term but not in the long term.
With each new day,the state of affairs diminishes.
The future of these VIs continues to shrink.
The lies !
With each new day,the state of affairs diminishes.
The future of these VIs continues to shrink.
The lies and the incompetence is overwhelming.
A couple of questions:
1. Did the system receive contain all the parts that could be assembled and make the system complete useable and function?
2. Did someone accept the system as complete?
3. Did anyone conduct an inventory of the received system to determine if all the required parts was shipped?
4. Are the missing parts included in the purchase price of the system?