Flyover's back in the news...
(May 26, 2006)

According to separate news stories carried in local print media over the past few weeks, Government is moving full steam ahead with it's plan to construct five flyovers along the ABC Highway...

Barbados Nation Newspaper - http://www.nationnews.com/story/285880660479755.php

Barbados Advocate - http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=26038

BAPE continues to be concerned that a project of such magnitude and cost - "ballpark figure" of BDS$120 Million, would be sanctioned without the benefit of a technical and economic feasibilty study of alternatives - ("Will It Really Fly...").

While the flyover proposal is but one of several components of the Road Improvement Infrastructure Project which Government intends to award to the firm 3S Structural Steel Solutions LLC, it is likely to represent a substantial proportion of the project's overall costs.

Given the scale and scope of the project, BAPE is of the view that a competitive tendering process should have been followed for:

(i) an initial traffic study to investigate the situation and identify the economic viability of alternative options, and

(ii) any resulting road improvement projects

Potential conflicts of interest arise where a firm hired to assess a situation and make recommendations is also awarded a contract to implement those recommendations. BAPE therefore believes that for projects such as this, successor contracts should not be awarded to entities offering consulting services.

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