Residents uneasy over gabion work
The recently constructed gabion walls along King’s Street and St Simon’s Village in St Andrew are already showing signs of deterioration, raising concerns among residents about the effectiveness of the road stabilisation project being executed by COMPLANT.
However, chief executive officer of Haigh Communications Joy-Ann Haigh, who handles public relations for COMPLANT, said that work was sub-contracted and any concerns would be passed on to the relevant personnel.
At the site, large, teal-coloured tarpaulins now cover sections of the gabion walls, with rocks visibly scattered at the base. The gabion walls, which consist of wire mesh containers filled with rocks, were intended to prevent soil erosion and support the roadway.
“Nothing that they’re doing coming out right,” said a resident who simply identified himself as Paul. “They’re just digging and ramming away at the side of the roads to build the gabions, but they’re not digging deep enough.
“The gabions that they tried to make are too shallow. Those can’t stop the type of slippage we get out this side. It’s poorly done,” he explained.
Where the tarpaulin covering has shifted, the gabion structures appear to lean and bulge, with some of the wire mesh containers showing signs of displacement. The rocky hillside above the gabions remains exposed.
The resident emphasised the importance of incorporating local expertise and proper geological assessment in such projects.
“They need to bring a proper geologist or anybody that deals with the environment and knows this area to be part of the planning when they try to do these projects,” Paul stated, adding that he doubted any local knowledge was consulted during the construction process.
In response, Haigh said: “If there is an issue with the method being used, we will bring it to the attention of the local engineers, Design Collaborative and the company responsible for building the gabions, Stonesbridge Construction and ask them to investigate. The findings will be communicated to the residents and adjustments will be made if required.”
In a subsequent check with the engineers Haigh said the gabions had not been completed but following a site visit [last Tuesday], the decision was made to put temporary measures into place to reinforce and prevent excess rainwater from impacting them until work restarted later next week.
Residents are also raising concerns about the long-term viability of the current solution and are asking if there was a need for additional remedial work to ensure their safety and the safety of commuters who use the route daily.
When contacted, Acting Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance Dr Romel Springer, who is also the Member of Parliament for St Andrew, said he was aware of the situation.
“Land slippage is a concern throughout the Scotland District and that area has seen significant land slippage, so obviously there’s always a concern. For this particular piece of gabion work they’re referring to, I will have to be advised and take the lead from the technical staff.
“That’s a technical thing and I don’t want to dispute what somebody says about what is not being done properly. The concerns of residents were brought to my attention and I raised them with the technical engineering staff. They would obviously have to do the assessment and they would be able to speak further on it,” he said. (DS/CA)
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