Address Delivered at the Sod turning Ceremony for the Grand Riviere Bridge: Delivered by: Hon. Philip J. Pierre, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport Grand Riviere, Dennery North – Monday 03rd March 2014 SALUATATIONS Introduction This Sod Turning Ceremony is the second such occasion made possible by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA). ALBA is providing 100% grant funding for the rehabilitation of three major bridges. These include the De Mailley Bridge in Vieux Fort North, the Rouarne Bridge, and this Grand Riviere Bridge. The total grant funding of $2.7 Million United States Dollars has been received, and as I am certain the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance will confirm, has been lodged within the Consolidated Fund. I wish to thank the Government and People of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, through Ambassador Escalona for their immense generosity. The bonds of friendship and respect between the democratically elected Government of Venezuela, the members of ALBA and Saint Lucia remain strong and underpinned by the principles of mutual collaboration and collective advancement. The benefits to be derived from Saint Lucia’s membership within ALBA are clear and unmistakable. This partnership is not characterized by any hidden agendas or underlying motives which jeopardize political or socioeconomic sovereignty. Today, in Dennery North, the people can see and feel the tangible benefits of ALBA. The three bridges being constructed with ALBA funding shall bring much needed employment generation and economic activity along the east coast and within the south of the island. The multiplier effect of the resources utilized on these projects is anticipated to be far reaching. Ladies and Gentlemen; In 2012, the Ministry undertook a comprehensive assessment of our island’s bridges. This study revealed that significant intervention was required on a number of bridges, many of which had been compromised during Hurricane Tomas; and had outlived their useful lives. This situation has been exacerbated with the passage of the Christmas Eve Trough, 2013. To date, we have initiated the complete reconstruction of twelve major bridges. These include; 1. The Cresslands Bridge 2. The Deville Bridge (built under a finance built mechanism) 3. The Mocha Bridge (built under a finance built mechanism) 4. The Sourfriere Main Bridge 5. The Bonne Terre Bridge 6. The Bois d’Orange Bridge 7. The Dubonnet Bridge 8. The Fond Assau Bridge 9. Piaye Bailey Bridge 10. Canaries Bailey Bridge 11. De Mailley Bridge 12. The Rouarne Bridge 13. Canaries Bridge 14. Thomazo Bridge This Bridge will bring the tally to thirteen bridges to be reconstructed within the term of this Government. Eight of these bridges have already been completed. These projects were closed with absolutely no cost overruns and with the bridges being constructed to the highest technical standards. We have insisted that these bridges be constructed with increased hydrological capacity to cater for the vagaries of climate change and increased instances of severe storm events. We have also required, as far as practical, that the new structures cater to the needs of pedestrians and differently-abled persons. The Ministry’s insistence on the highest quality and standards in the construction of public infrastructure was clearly manifested during the Christmas Eve Trough, when none of these new structures were adversely affected. We expect that this Grand Riviere Bridge will follow similar cost and quality parameters. The full reconstruction of the Grand Riviere Bridge was considered a necessity since it is a critical primary bridge along the Castries-Vieux Fort Highway. If this bridge was to be rendered impassible for an extended period of time, the consequences on domestic transport and commerce would be immense. The design and bill of quantities for the new bridge was developed by the local engineering firm of Caribbean Consulting Engineers Limited (CCE). This consultancy was awarded by the Central Tenders Board after an open tendering process. The works component of this project also went through a tendering process. However, the Central Tenders Board, based on the report of the independent technical committee, appointed by the Board rejected all submitted bids. This was on the basis of the majority of the submitted bids not meeting the required technical specifications of the tender, and with the few compliant bids being at a price which was deemed prohibitive when compared with the cost estimate of the independent consultant. On this basis, the Ministry opted to enter into financial negotiations with the most technically compliant bidder, and the contract was awarded under Part 3, Section 9 (1) of the Procurement and Stores Regulations, contained in the Second Schedule of the Finance (Administration) Act, Chapter 15.01 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia, 2008 to the experienced construction firm Serge Zozime Enterprise BTP, at cost of $4,231,251.35 inclusive of contingencies of $96,290.00 and VAT of $551,902.35. A temporary bypass road will be constructed at a cost of $432,299. A bypass road of good quality is important to minimize the inconvenience of motorist and to avoid significant increases in travel times. A bypass road was also constructed to facilitate the construction of the Bonne Terre Bridge. This was done at a cost of $985,750. Comparatively, a bypass road was also constructed by the former government to facilitate the construction of the Bois D’orange Bridge at a cost of $3,116,755.54. The Acting Chief Engineer has outlined the technical details of the new bridge which is to be constructed within 192 calendar days. The Ministry is confident in the technical capacity of the contractor and his engineering team, who possess a solid track record of performance in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean Region. We expect this project to be executed with minimal disruption and with the engagement of as much local resources as practical. As we have insisted in the past, we expect this bridge to be constructed to an international standard. We insist that there is no such thing as Saint Lucian standards. This bridge must be of global quality. Ladies and Gentlemen, In 2012, a policy decision was taken to procure and store bailey bridges in anticipation of potential disaster events. This is why that within hours after the passage of the Christmas Eve Trough, the Ministry was able to mobilize and utilize these bailey bridges. Consequently, the replacement of the Piaye and Canaries Bridges was completed in record time. This is testament to the foresight and agility of the Ministry and the Government of Saint Lucia. I wish to place on record my gratitude to the Prime Minister for supporting this venture. To date we have utilized 56 meters of these Bailey Bridges and we have loaned the Government and people of St. Vincent 101 meters to assist their recovery effort following the trough. At this moment, we have 143 meters of Bailey Bridges in stock. The people of Saint Lucia can rest assured what we will manage the scarce resources of Government utilizing the highest level of ingenuity, prudence and transparency. Conclusion I wish to thank all those whose hard work has caused today to be a reality. I wish to thank the President and Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. My sincere gratitude goes out to Ambassador Escalona and her staff. I thank the Honorable Prime Minister and my Cabinet Colleagues for their continued support. I wish to make special mention of the MP for Dennery North; while he lobbies and fights vigorously for his constituents, he has been patient and understanding throughout this process. I wish to thank the design engineer, Mr. Neil Williams of Caribbean Consulting Engineers Limited. I also wish to express my deepest appreciation to the staff and engineers within the Ministry; your continued dedication and commitment to the people of Saint Lucia is clear and unmistakable. While resources are very limited, I am always amazed by what we have been able to achieve with the limited resources which are available to us at this time. I therefore have no fear that despite the fiscal challenges which may continue in the short term, we will continue to achieve our mandate. I thank you and look forward to a grand opening in a little less than seven months from now.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 17:21:48 +0000