The Public Works Department is responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the territory’s public roads and bridges — a task that may be difficult without a new asphalt plant, according to a 2011 annual report by the department that was recently tabled in the House of Assembly.
The current industrial asphalt plant was purchased in 1986, and has become “financially exhaustive to constantly repair and maintain,” the report states. “And most importantly, it has become an environmental hazard as it emits toxic fumes into the air.”
According to the report, the current location of the asphalt plant in Fish Bay is also “no longer feasible” because the landowner of the site has requested it be removed.
“The plant is extremely rundown and will not survive being relocated,” the report states. Government announced on Dec. 3 that it is inviting tenders for a new “asphalt batch plant” for the PWD, giving Jan. 22 as a deadline for submissions.
The estimated cost for a new plant is just over $1 million, according to the annual report.
See the Jan. 10, 2013 edition for full coverage.
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