Contracts were signed at the Ministry of Transport and Works on Friday, February 26, 2010 for the construction of the Harbour View Weigh Scale Station as well as river training works for the Yallahs River.

The construction of the Weigh Scale is part of the wider Vehicle Weight Enforcement Programme which was launched on December 15, 2009. This initiative involves the establishment of fixed scales at strategic locations across the island, namely Trelawny, St. Mary and St. Catherine. Mobile Scales will also be part of the overall initiative.

The contract for the Weigh Scale Station was awarded to Tankweld Construction at an amount of $100,110,425.00.

The contracts for the Yallahs River Training works were awarded to L&K Construction Ltd and Sean D Construction Ltd. in the amounts of $15.625M each. This project is scheduled to start on March 8, 2010 and is expected to last for six months. The works on the Yallahs Bridge are a continuation of those which commenced in 2009. In the upcoming phase of the work, each contractor will undertake 225 metres of river training protective works. It is intended to engage the services of two additional contractors at a later date. In 2009, each of four contractors engaged in work covering 152 metres of river training.

Work to be done courtesy of these contracts include:

• Packing boulders in baskets to be located along the river’s edge and along the mound created with the river bed material
• Placing top soil in this area and
• Planting Wild Cane and Bump Eye in the soil

Funding for the Yallahs River Training programme will be done through the IDB.

As part of the river training protection programme, the National Works Agency (NWA) has undertaken the earth works aspect of the project. This includes the shoring up of river bed material and re-aligning and clearing of the channel. Last year $78M was spent on this aspect of the project while $40M is expected to be spent this year.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Mike Henry noted that in respect of the Harbour View Weigh Scale Station, that that corridor was one of the most heavily trafficked by overweight vehicles and as such the erection of a scale in that area was clearly a necessity.

Minister Henry also highlighted the fact that the river training works are important in enhancing the integrity of the Yallahs Bridge which was constructed and opened in 2008. He also used the opportunity to explain that a contract would be signed for the re-construction of the Dry River Bridge in Harbour View shortly. He also spoke about works which would ongoing at Roselle in St. Thomas.

Also speaking at the Press Conference were MP for Western St. Thomas, Hon. James Robertson; and Mr. Jerome Gayle representing contractor, Tankweld Ltd.