{"id":31795,"date":"2023-12-28T23:44:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T04:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=31795"},"modified":"2023-12-28T21:11:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T02:11:28","slug":"cries-get-louder-for-troy-bridge-repair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/cries-get-louder-for-troy-bridge-repair\/","title":{"rendered":"Cries get louder for Troy Bridge repair"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jamaica<\/p>\n

TROY, Trelawny \u2014 With the danger of their commute increasing daily due to heavy and persistent rain, residents of Cowick Park in north-west Manchester and Troy in south Trelawny are questioning the Government\u2019s prioritisation timeline to replace a collapsed bridge here.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since the Troy Bridge collapsed in August 2021, schoolchildren and other residents have been using makeshift methods, including a fallen tree and a zip line comprising a rope and bucket to cross the river. The risky makeshift footbridge connects residents in the neighbouring communities of Cowick Park in north-west Manchester to Troy in south Trelawny. Since the bridge collapsed, residents have had to use a 15-mile alternative commute for safety.<\/p>\n

The residents told the\u00a0Jamaica Observer<\/strong>\u00a0that they have been awaiting word as to when their lives will return to normality and expressed concern over recent comments at the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) over the onerous public procurement system.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody at all who wants to build the bridge, make dem do it, because we need it. It nuh matter if is Chinese or Japanese, is the bridge we want and the bridge is needed\u2026 As long as dem build a sensible and strong bridge,\u201d Troy resident Raymond Powell told the\u00a0Sunday Observer<\/strong>\u00a0last week.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

PAAC Chairman Mikael Phillips, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester North Western, said recently that the project \u201chas really reached nowhere\u201d despite money being set aside in the budget to carry out the construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Troy bridge [project] has now gone to the Ministry of Finance to my understanding, and\u2026[there is] $3 billion in this year\u2019s budget to deal with bridge construction. So we were told that money is in this current budget, but we have not even started the procurement side of it yet. If that takes 15 months, that\u2019s more than a financial year,\u201d he said on October 4.<\/p>\n

Chief executive officer of the National Works Agency E G Hunter acknowledged the MP\u2019s frustration but noted that the issues which affect efficient implementation of projects were not only in relation to government procedure but also takes into account the \u201cinability of the marketplace to be able to respond to different requests that we have.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tendered a bridge on two occasions in the last six months. There were no responses. In fact, if you scrutinise the website of the Public Procurement Commission, there are no grade one bridge contractors. So we had to expand the category to include civil engineering\u2026and we still did not get any response from the marketplace,\u201d he said at the recent PAAC.<\/p>\n

However, president of the Incorporated Master Builder Association of Jamaica Lenworth Kelly said contractors, for varying reasons, don\u2019t bid on some projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bridge at Troy has not completed that process. I don\u2019t think that has come to tender. We checked online and we didn\u2019t see the Troy bridge,\u201d he told the\u00a0Sunday Observer<\/strong>\u00a0last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom time to time bids come out and nobody bids, it does happen \u2014 if the area is remote, it can be based on how they put the qualifying criteria\u2026 If you want it more competitive, then you open it up to civil engineering, and the procurement rules sometimes doesn\u2019t give the agency the flexibility,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Kelly said contractors are at times left feeling that bidding for certain projects is a \u201cwaste of time\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Sometimes it is not understanding that if the entity goes to bid that process takes time and money. You find where contractors, when they bid, it leaves a sour taste in their mouth. They will say they are not going to bid on anything for [certain] entities,\u201d said Kelly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can put out two things to tender and everybody goes after one and ignores the other, it is an open marketplace. What happens a lot of times when agencies put out [a project] to bid and they realise that they don\u2019t get any response, sometimes they will contact us as the master builders and then we will put it out and say to the members and say there is this bid,\u201d added Kelly.<\/p>\n

Residents affected by the collapsed bridge said they feel no comfort amid the continued wait and uncertainty about when the bridge will be replaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time the rain fall the river rise and the two piece a wood weh dem put cross that the teachers and the schoolchildren walk on, as you look, water wash weh dem deh. You haffi go back in a woodland go chop tree again. Every day a judgement. From the bridge pop down a whole heap of things gone down. Nothing can\u2019t come across, nothing can\u2019t go across. People ago Balaclava dem come yah suh [Troy] and haffi turn back,\u201d said Powell.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image: construction-worker-<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jamaica TROY, Trelawny \u2014 With the danger of their commute increasing daily due to heavy and persistent rain, residents of Cowick Park in north-west Manchester and Troy in south Trelawny…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":20643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250],"tags":[190,124,71],"class_list":["post-31795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-construction","tag-jamaica","tag-procurement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/construction-worker-gaa6117ab7_1920-e1644524313726.jpg?fit=1025%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-8gP","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30710,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/phillips-slams-procurement-process\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":0},"title":"Phillips slams procurement process","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamaica Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips says the tedious procurement process has resulted in delays to well-needed projects at times, causing the scope of work to be increased due to infrastructure\u00a0deterioration. \"I mean the process itself is cumbersome and the rules governing procurement. You have those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-anna-tarazevich-5598284-scaled-e1698351189837.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-anna-tarazevich-5598284-scaled-e1698351189837.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-anna-tarazevich-5598284-scaled-e1698351189837.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-anna-tarazevich-5598284-scaled-e1698351189837.jpg?fit=1023%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20923,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/no-work-on-deeside-roadway-before-march\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":1},"title":"No work on Deeside roadway before March","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"February 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamaica \u00a0 DESPITE more than $200 million being earmarked to fix the three miles of road between Wakefield and Deeside in Trelawny, residents will have to wait at least another two months for work to begin. Last September, Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Works Everald Warmington toured the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-max-andrey-1197095-scaled-e1645732029934.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-max-andrey-1197095-scaled-e1645732029934.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-max-andrey-1197095-scaled-e1645732029934.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-max-andrey-1197095-scaled-e1645732029934.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36657,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/hamilton-appeals-for-patience-with-road-projects\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":2},"title":"Hamilton appeals for patience with road projects","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamaica Trelawny Northern MP says procurement process stalling rehabilitative works TOVA HAMILTON, member of parliament for Trelawny Northern, is appealing for her constituents\u2019 patience as she battles with the lengthy procurement process to address deteriorated roadways in her constituency. Hamilton, while responding to queries from\u00a0The Gleaner, shared that she has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Construction-excavator-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Construction-excavator-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Construction-excavator-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Construction-excavator-Life-Of-Pix-Pexels.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13206,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/one-year-too-long-pm-laments-tedious-delays-in-procurement-practices\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":3},"title":"One Year Too Long – PM Laments Tedious Delays In Procurement Practices","author":"Michele Marius","date":"July 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Prime Minister Andrew Holness wants forward planning for procurement in place to lessen the time spent engaging the gears of bureaucracy. Holness was speaking on Thursday at the commissioning of a $33-million, 110-ft-long bridge spanning the Wag Water River and which links Airy Castle, Bowden Hill, and Stony Hill in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News\/Developments"","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hourglass-Clock-Schedule-Minutes-Money-Glass-Old-fernando-zhiminaicela-Pixabay-jpg.jpg?fit=1024%2C638&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hourglass-Clock-Schedule-Minutes-Money-Glass-Old-fernando-zhiminaicela-Pixabay-jpg.jpg?fit=1024%2C638&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hourglass-Clock-Schedule-Minutes-Money-Glass-Old-fernando-zhiminaicela-Pixabay-jpg.jpg?fit=1024%2C638&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Hourglass-Clock-Schedule-Minutes-Money-Glass-Old-fernando-zhiminaicela-Pixabay-jpg.jpg?fit=1024%2C638&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4605,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/bridge-for-chesterfield-to-arrive-in-jamaica-by-end-of-march\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":4},"title":"Bridge for Chesterfield to arrive in Jamaica by end of March","author":"Michele Marius","date":"February 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"THE National Works Agency (NWA) has announced that the bridge that was promised to residents of Chesterfield, St Mary, should be in place by the start of the next hurricane season. The bridge, the NWA said in a release Tuesday, is one of seven that are now being fabricated in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News\/Developments"","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/footbridge-autumn-fall-bridge-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C685&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/footbridge-autumn-fall-bridge-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C685&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/footbridge-autumn-fall-bridge-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C685&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/footbridge-autumn-fall-bridge-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C685&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31536,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/dealing-with-corruption-must-not-be-compromised-as-we-address-procurement-issues\/","url_meta":{"origin":31795,"position":5},"title":"Dealing with corruption must not be compromised as we address procurement issues","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"December 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamaica Various estimates suggest that Jamaica loses five per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to corruption annually. As we understand it, that equates to approximately US$800 million. Shortcomings in health, education, security, et al, which such funds could address are aplenty. Corruption in high places has plagued Jamaica for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Corruption-money-fraudMarco-Verch-Professional-Photographer-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Corruption-money-fraudMarco-Verch-Professional-Photographer-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Corruption-money-fraudMarco-Verch-Professional-Photographer-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Corruption-money-fraudMarco-Verch-Professional-Photographer-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1091"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31795"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31813,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31795\/revisions\/31813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}