Works on the Northern Highway halt until barriers are installed

Cadet Henderson

The upgrading of the Northern Highway between miles five and the airport cutoff has practically come to a standstill. It’s an area that has turned deadly for traffic.  A section of the road caved in late last year and even as repairs were taking place, piles collapsed.  C.E.O. , in the Ministry of Works, Cadet Henderson told News Five today that they are waiting for material to construct a barricade to prevent vehicles from running off the road but he admitted that paving will remain on pause until after the barriers are installed.

Cadet Henderson, C.E.O., Ministry of Works

“The methodology for securing the wall will involve driving some special H-piles—some steel elements—it’s like stitching the walls into the embankment. And this will require some cables to be cut across the road and buried underground at intervals. So even if we do major improvement right now, we will have to rip up and correct the area. So we appeal to motorists to bear with us over the next several weeks as we continue to fortify that wall and make sure that our work is permanent.”

Duane Moody

“There was already work into putting up this barricade and it collapsed. What is it that you guys are going to put in place to ensure that that doesn’t happen again or what caused it to happen in the first place?”

Cadet Henderson

“The area that collapsed was not in scope of works of the contract. It was an area that was considered to be in better shape than the rest of it that was being replaced. Essentially, the cause of the failure was because the river was deeper than anticipated. And because the wall failed, the new wall that was being put in was put in was put further into the river and I was told the river is twenty to thirty feet deep at the embankment. So it was a very precarious area and its best that we do it right. So we are awaiting the H-piles that were being ordered from overseas. But as soon as they arrive we’ll adequately correct the problem.”

Duane Moody

“When is that expected?”

Cadet Henderson

“I would say in the course of the next three to four weeks because it is a very significant area and the anchoring of the dead men, which is the H-piles with the cables, is a little time consuming process that requires cranage and so this is not just a one week task.”