The South River Bridge on middle street which is currently being reconstructed will be completed in time for Vincymas 2017. The information was disclosed to News784 from an official at the Ministry of Economic Planning.
The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines awarded a contract to OB Sadoo Engineering Services Ltd. of St. Lucia for the construction of Bridge, which is being executed under Component 1 of the World Bank funded Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project.
The official told News784 that the contractors are also putting longer hours and some weekends as well to finish ahead of the scheduled time.
The existing structure is an old stone arch bridge, whose structural integrity has been compromised by age, floods, increased vehicular weight, and the impact of roots from a nearby tree.
The relatively small opening of the old bridge has contributed significantly in recent times to flooding in the area.
On-site work includes the construction of abutments to accommodate future channel widening and the erection of a reinforced concrete slab.
The new bridge will be approximately 18 inches higher and has been designed to withstand expected increases in flooding due to climate change events and future road expansion.
The contract, worth some XCD 1.7 million, represents the lowest qualifying tender received.
