Circle construction underway
"Part of that problem was as a result of the contractor and consultant not being fully in agreement regarding quantities of material on site."
The construction of the Laurie Road traffic circle seems to be back on track.
On September 30 the NEWS published an article about residents’ concerns regarding the slow progress at the site.
According to the ward 18 councillor, Clr Heather Hart, the site was standing still for a period of 10 days as a result of Moseme experiencing internal issues.
“Part of that problem was as a result of the contractor and consultant not being fully in agreement regarding quantities of material on site. Moseme was also encouraged to speed up the issuing of certificates for payments so that they can be paid for both materials purchased and the work done to date,” said Clr Hart.
She said that while some residents and businesses have expressed their frustration with the ongoing delays, it must be mentioned that these date back to 2013 and were no fault of the contractor but due to the under-scoping of the project.
“These delays, not of Moseme’s making, meant several months of standing time, for which they were not reimbursed. Since then, the delays were occasioned by budgetary constraints and supply chain and procurement problems which have since been resolved,” said Clr Hart.
She said Moseme has yet to provide a detailed catch-up plan for the extended completion date, agreed to by the metro’s roads and transport department.
“The consultant Civec, contractor and metro officials are monitoring progress closely and we will take action if necessary,” she said.
Clr Hart said following the concerns raised by herself and the ward 19 councillor, Clr Bill Rundle, the detour has been upgraded and extra signage is going to be installed to make the detour safer at night.
In addition, the Metro’s street lighting department has been called in to ensure that the remaining street lights are operational until the completion of the construction and the installation of mast lighting for the circle.
Clr Hart is confident that once completed, the Laurie Road circle will not only ease access into Laurie Road from Cecil Awret and Aitken roads, the original purpose of the traffic circle, but will also calm traffic travelling along Laurie Road.
“It must, however, be pointed out that issues along Laurie Road do not end with the installation of the Laurie Road circle because there are still issues at the intersection with Matthew Hubert and Aileen roads which need to be addressed,” she said.
