River defence works leave section of Islington Seawall breached

Residents of Islington, Greater new Amsterdam, Region Six are expressing concern after a section of the community’s river defence structure was damaged, reportedly during ongoing sea and river defence works on Monday evening.

INews understands that the works involved the placement of sand along the landward side of the river defence structure and the installation of large boulders along the river’s edge.

Residents said they were uncertain whether the existing seawall was being rehabilitated or whether an entirely new defence system was being constructed.

According to residents, while they observed that works had been ongoing for weeks, the situation escalated on Monday evening when a barge operating on the Berbice River began placing additional boulders in the area. While earlier loads were reportedly placed without incident, residents said during the placement of another set of rocks, part of the existing concrete structure was struck and severely damaged.

The impact left a section of the river defence structure breached, with large portions of concrete breaking away and falling among the newly placed boulders.

The affected area extends for more than 30ft. Residents say the damage has become particularly concerning as the tide began to rise Monday evening, allowing water to overtop the compromised area.

By Tuesday morning, residents were closely monitoring conditions as the area faced another high tide cycle. Their concerns intensified as forecasts indicated that an even higher tide was expected later in the day.

Adding to those concerns, residents claim that after the incident occurred, workers operating from the barge left the location and no explanation was provided regarding what had happened or what immediate remedial measures would be taken.

Meanwhile, records show that works at Islington form part of the Ministry of Public Works’ programme for the construction of sea and river defence structure.

A contract valued at more than $136.7 million was awarded to I & R Construction on March 31 this year.
The project was listed as covering river defence works within the Islington community. The contractor has been paid $136.7 million.