By Vision Reporter

THE contractors of the Northern Bypass have said the delay on the project is due to heavy increase on the workload.
Referring to the Tuesday meeting with the works minister John Nasasira during the site visit, Melvin England, the contract project manager, said there has been an increase in the rock fill on the swamps from 140,000 cubic metres to 250,000 cubic metres, constituting a 70% additional workload.

"This extra work of 110,000 cubic metres of rock fill needs nine months of additional time to be executed. This rock fill in the swamps then has to be loaded or surcharged and left idle for about 12 months to allow it settle or sink before the second phase of the road works can continue.

Therefore, because of this, the loaded material has also increased proportionally. These are irrefutable facts on the ground," said England.

He, however, said the contractor, Salini, was implementing major acceleration measures to overcome the increased workload by purchasing new machinery from Europe. Part of the machinery is already at the site. More will arrive this month, England said.

The Road Agency Formation Unit sources said the increase in the workload was likely to increase the contract cost from the original sh83b to over sh90b.
On the bridge works, Spencon Services' K. Kumar said the rock fill to the bridge abetments had also increased by more than 400%.

"Until work on the foundations to the bridge works are completed, the concrete works can not commence hence extra time.
"But the tendency by many is to place the blame for any delay on the contractors despite factual evidence to the contrary," said Kumar.

Stirling Civil Engineering is executing the civil works, while Spencon Services is carrying out the bridge, drainage and concrete works.

Source: New Vision
Friday, 5th May, 2006