The Ministry of Works and Transport is aware of the protest action undertaken on the Manzanilla Mayaro Road today, Monday, 7th August 2023. At the protest, concerns were expressed about the pace of ongoing work and the removal of equipment from the project site. Given the above, the Ministry would like to take this opportunity to provide some context and clarity on the ongoing project. On Friday, 28th of July 2023, works officially commenced on a permanent solution for the Manzanilla Mayaro Road. To date, three of the five packages under Phase One of the project have been awarded, and works are ongoing in the following areas:
- Maintenance of the roadway
- Clearing and grubbing of the area
- Stockpiling of material In the upcoming weeks, the following will be executed:
- Continued maintenance of the road
- Preliminary works for the construction of a culvert crossing
- Excavation works to failed areas along the roadway
- Stockpiling of additional material
Regarding the removal of some equipment from the site, several contractors have expressed concerns as it relates to the safety and security of extremely expensive resources. As such, removing equipment is purely based on security concerns and measures, not demobilization. The extensive project scope considered the exigencies, uniqueness and environmental challenges associated with the site and include the following:
- The reconstruction of the collapsed road spanning approximately 1.6km within the 5km segment of roadway along the Manzanilla-Mayaro Road, including rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing 6m wide asphalt roadway.
- Raising of the existing roadway over the 5km segment by approximately 450mm
- The installation of eight (8) culverts at strategic locations along the road.
- Repairs to the existing culvert crossings.
- The installation of flap gates at the seaward end of each of the 8 culverts to prevent the backflow of water from the sea during a storm surge event.
- The installation of 3m wide earthen drains to facilitate water flow from the wetland into the culverts.
The Ministry understands and acknowledges the concerns of Manzanilla Mayaro residents and advises that protest actions of such a nature will only serve to delay the implementation of this critical project. We remain open to dialogue with concerned residents in the community and will continue to focus our efforts on expediting this project to provide long-term relief to the commuting public.
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