Motorists
utilising the Green Bridge at Queen Park, St George¹s will
have to deal with major traffic delays and possibly diversions
as work started Monday on the project to rebuild the facility.
Government says that the constructing of the new bridge is part
of its strategy to reduce maintenance costs and increase public
safety by replacing aging infrastructure whenever possible.
A sod turning ceremony to officially signal the commencement of
work was held Monday close to the bridge. In addressing the brief
ceremony, Minister of Works Clarice Modeste-Curwen said that the
bridge is ageing and in need of replacement in order to ensure
the safety of pedestrians and the motoring public.
She expressed disappointment that the work on the bridge was delayed
as a result of a high court injunction filed by businessman, Azam
Rahaman, over relocation of his tyre operation.
Reconstruction of the Green Bridge is seen as essential for Grenada¹s
hosting of matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
According to Modeste-Curwen, the idea to undertake the project
did not start when the island won the bid to host games for the
World Cup.
However, she said that the tournament acted as a catalyst for
government to proceed with the rebuilding of the aged bridge.
The female government minister was hopeful that there will be
no more major impediments in the construction of the bridge which
is expected to be completed within 300 days.
Modeste-Curwen
announced that the work being done will also deal with some of
the problem of flooding of the St John¹s river in River Road.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Land and Fisheries, Gregory
Bowen made it abundantly clear that lack of commencement of work
on the bridge could have derailed the hosting of the world cup
cricket matches fixed for Grenada.
In speaking to reporters attending the sod-turning ceremony, Bowen
said that the delay in construction of the Bridge and the recent
bomb scare at the Ministerial Complex tended to portray Grenada
an unstable country as the island continues with its preparations
for the World Cup.
The Green Bridge project is jointly financed by the Government
of Grenada and a loan from the Barbados-based Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB).
Consolidated Contractors International (UK) Limited has been awarded
the contracts for the bridge.
