Barbados Underground (BU) congratulate the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) for sticking to their previous demands made to the government of Barbados and 3S Barbados SRL, the company contracted to build the flyovers, to provide them with the opportunity to clarify some technical questions concerning aspects of the flyover project. BAPE’s position gives lie to the accusation leveled by Richard Sealy MP at the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) meeting in Deacons Road on Sunday night, when he accused BAPE of being a timid organization “devoid of a spine” which is made-up of people who are scared for their jobs.
We have written exhaustively on the issue of Operation Free Flow, better known as the flyover project. We have read hundreds of comments posted to the several flyover topics we have posted on BU and also on BFP. Although many of the comments provide a true insight how ordinary Barbadians feel about the project, several of the comments continue to demonstrate a refusal to separate the issues. It is apparent to BU that several of our frequent commenters have misrepresented the issue of the flyovers by blurring the tender procurement process of the Barbados government and the benefits of this project in terms of relieving traffic congestion. We are fortunate to have sources who have provided information which is not in the public domain; however to protect our sources we are sometimes restricted as to what we can publish.
Many of the BU articles on this topic have focussed on the lack of a policy framework which has affected the flyover project. It is necessary if Barbadians want to sensibly debate the issue of this project project we must not let partisan political views to derail the debate. We recognize that there has been voluminous information which has been printed about the flyover project so we decided to list what we think are the pertinent points which Barbadians MUST seek to clarify from our government:
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The 3S Barbados SRL April 2006 Operation Free Flow drawings must be made public. We know from people who have seen the drawing that as early as 2006 the plan was to widen the ABC Highway to 4 lanes throughout, including the section of the ABC Highway South of Life of Barbados roundabout.
- Our investigation shows that the cost of the flyover project from mid-2006 was BDS140 million. We want to know what was the approval process that saw the cost of the project increased to BDS280 million (if we listen to Clyde Mascoll) or BDS360 million (if we listen to George Siddall of 3S Barbados SRL). In fact the government needs to tell Barbadians what was the tendering process for the whole damn flyover project!
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According to a recent Hillis-Carnes press release– the engineering firm contracted by 3S Barbados to do geo-technical research – they collected core sample from 100 test holes along the ABC Highway in 2006-2007. The cost of Operation Free Flow was made public in mid-2006 with a figure of BDS140 million being tossed about. Also was the cost to perform the geo-technical research by Hillis-Carnes included in the original figure of BDS140 million dollars?
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Why wasn’t the geo-technical work done before the project was mobilized given that the results could have seriously impacted on the design and scope the original project plan? Our sources have always confirmed that the jersey barriers and the makeover of the ‘Bermuda triangle’ was included in the 3S April 2006 drawings. The talk about an increase in the scope of works is therefore a LIE and Clyde Mascoll needs to explain this lie because it seems that he has been given the role of government’s spin doctor on the contentious projects!
There are several other issues that we can question but we believe that the four outlined above provide fodder for discussion concerning how the tender and procurement process was engaged by the Barbados government and the subsequent management of issues which followed.
Previous Stories
Clyde Mascoll Needs Only Three Minutes To Do Damage Control On 3S Barbados SRL
Operations Free Flow Should Be Stopped NOW Pending A Further Geo-technical Study Media Houses In Barbados In Collusion With Government To Suppress News, Press Freedom Under Threat ~ The Voices Of The People Must Be Heard
Gline Clarke And Rihanna Tell Their Supporters To “Shut Up And Drive”
OPERATION Free Flow, Barbados Road Network Infrastructure Improvement Project (Flyover Project) To Triple In Cost From USD60 Million To USD180 Million~Gline Clarke And The Government Of Barbados Owe Barbadians A Big Explanation
ABC Highway Cost Triples Or More
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