By Admin. Updated 7:50 p.m., Tuesday, February 7, 2023, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
A resident of Richland Park has taken to social media to raise awareness about a concrete wall she says started cracking since road rehabilitation works began in the area last year.
“I don’t want this to be another Jax wall,” she said, referring to a wall that collapsed along a section of the main road in Ratho Mill in 2008, killing Patsy Bowman, a 67-year-old woman who was driving through the area.
Mrs. Anita Latham – John told One News SVG today that cracks have appeared in the retaining wall and on the ground at her residence at Richland Park since the use of heavy equipment in the area for the ongoing road rehabilitation works.
Road rehabilitation works are being carried out in the main road at Richland Park by Kuwait Dynamics Limited – KDL (the main contractors) with work by the lead subcontractor – Marigot Holmes Ltd, a St. Lucian company.
In a Facebook post today, Mrs. Latham-John said:
“In September last year, the contractors who were working on the road in Richland Park used their heavy equipment below the wall behind my residence.”
“They said they reinforced the foundation of the wall as it was only two feet wide instead of the standard six feet. As much as I am happy to hear that the foundation is now up to par, the top of the wall separated from the paved backyard and left a wide gap right down the length of the wall,” she said.
“I am not an engineer but the wall separated because of the heavy vibrations caused by the equipment and drilling,” she added.
She said members of the contracting company were contacted and they assessed the wall.
She said one member of the company, “admitted that the problem was their’s and [said] he will get it fixed. Other workers and engineers came and admitted that the problem was their’s and they will get it resolved.”
She said: “We have been given the assurance that it will be fixed but nothing has happen and it has been five months on.”
She said: “Water is now getting down between the cracks and we all know the destruction water can cause.”
One News SVG contacted, via telephone, Mr. Javon Britton, a representative of Marigot Holmes Ltd for comment.
Mr. Britton said: “Members of the company visited the site where the wall is located and conducted assessments.”
He said after the completion of the assessments, “it was determined that the cracks were a result of poor backfilling done by the owners of the property prior to the construction of the wall years ago.”
He said he personally explained this to Mrs. Latham in person and an engineer also explained the matter.
In a comment responding to Mrs. Latham’s Facebook post, Mr. Britton said, “although we may acknowledged [sic] that works done may have sped up the inevitable we reassured you that the matter would be escalated to Head Office.”
He said the matter has been communicated to the Ministry of Transport and Works who then made the KDL firm aware of the matter.
One News St.Vincent 