Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 29, 2019 (SKNIS): Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, informed the nation that the verification process for the completion of work for the 2nd cruise pier at Port Zante is currently underway and added that the pier will not become operational until all contractual conditions are satisfied by the primary contractor, Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC).
While addressing the Federal Parliament on Thursday, Honourable Liburd noted that the takeover of the pier was delayed following inspections. The concerns of the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) were relayed to CCC in a letter dated November 18, 2019. Further, the designers of the pier expressed “concerns with the underwater environment” in a report and noted that it must be addressed in order to successfully complete the project.”
Minister Liburd said that all parties have remained engaged and are working towards a resolution so that the pier can be fit for purpose.
“One fundamental component of this fit for purpose deliverable is to dredge a depth of 37 feet within the design perimeter,” the Minister of Public Infrastructure stated, adding that the contractor is contractually required to provide a survey confirming the dredge depth.
Additionally, the underwater conditions including the dredge depth have to be verified by an independent third party.
Minister Liburd read into the records of the parliament a letter from the main subcontractor JV Driver to SCASPA’s project engineer ADeB Consultants Ltd. that indicates that all parties have agreed to an independent party to verify the survey.
The letter sent by email states: “We confirmed that we are mobilizing dredging contractors to the site and they are scheduled to arrive in early December 2019.” It also adds that “We recommend the independent party is on-site … [to] enable an independent verification of the bathymetric survey and results to be carried out.”
A bathymetric survey is the measurement of the depth of a water body as well as mapping the underwater features of a water body.
Once the contractual conditions are satisfied, a takeover certificate will be presented by the project engineers ADeB Consultants Ltd. to the primary contractor, CCC. Appropriate agencies such as cruise lines will then be notified that the 2nd cruise pier is fully operational.
