Sensing the public blowback on this - the Ministry of Works responded today with a "wheel and come again" press release. They stress that to go with that one mile of reinforced concrete pavement, there will be two miles of reinforced concrete sidewalk and side drains, and the installation of one mile of earthen drains going from Krooman Road to the Caribbean Sea.
The release adds, "the eight-inch thick, high-strength, reinforced concrete is necessary to accommodate heavy-duty transport vehicles commuting to and from the Port of Belize."
The release adds that the Ministry of Works considered the impacts on Faber's road from regular wear and tear, increased traffic loads, infrequent maintenance, city and business expansion and the unpredictable effects of several tropical storms and hurricanes. It adds that the Contractor's offer was consistent with the engineer's estimate and current construction rates.
Now, it sure sounds like a desperate attempt to cover up an error - even if the only error was one of cardinal sins of the Ministry of Works - that they refuse to invite the press to their contract signings. If they did, we could have asked all the tough questions up front, and there wouldn't be all these mealy-mouthed excuses after the fact.
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