(Left)A dilapidated section of the Spaldings market. and (Right) Kadon Baker and Warren Davy, participants in the Lift Up Jamaica Programme, carry out steel work at the Spaldings market in north-west Clarendon. - Contributed

SPALDINGS, Clarendon:

Almost seven months after construction work on the well-needed Spaldings market in north-west Clarendon started, to replace the over-60-year-old dilapidated facility, work has fallen behind schedule, and there is no idea when it will be completed.

A visit to the project site by The Gleaner has shown tha work has been carried out on the foundation of the structure, including the laying of blocks for a section to be dumped, the work is progressing at snail's pace.

Workmen, who are said to be HEART Trust/NTA-trained at level three in construction, told The Gleaner that work had been hampered on numerous occasions by either rain or a shortage of material.

One worker pointed out that, at one stage rain fell almost every day for about three weeks when the foundation was being excavated on the clay soil, causing serious breakaway from water saturation, which flooded canals.

The worker, who opted for anonymity, said their work had not been made easy, as whenever they had 'casting' of the foundation to carry out and it rains, not only do they had to re-excavate the area, but water has to be bailed out using buckets, and it took a lot of time.

It is also understood that the project, which is being carried out under Lift Up Jamaica, has also suffered from a shortage of one-inch and one-and-a-half-inch steel at one stage. However, that problem was rectified a few weeks ago and work got under way again.

too labour intensive

Contact with a high-ranking official at the Clarendon Parish Council, which has responsibility for monitoring the project, revealed that the labour-intensive nature of construction is slowing down work.

The parish council official, who also opted for anonymity, stated that Lift Up Jamaica was advised that a project of that nature should not be too highly labour intensive, but council's advice was not treated seriously.

If mechanical assistance were part of the work, the official said the market project would have been completed by now.

The official pointed out that no mechanical equipment, including concrete mixers and backhoes were being used.

It is also understood that there is no private contractor working on the multimillion-dollar project.

The official further stated that work on the market project stalled because of general election campaigns, but hopes that now that the election was over, work would resume.

In February, while speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony for the market, then Member of Parliament for North West Clarendon, Richard Azan, said the project would have been completed within four to six months.

At the ceremony Mr. Azan begged persons who were down to work on the construction of the new facility not to slow down the project, as he intended to have it finished on or ahead of schedule in a bid to avoid cost overruns.

But the Clarendon Parish Council official is of the view that if the work continues to be highly labour intensive, another six months could pass without the project being completed.

Lift Up Jamaica has provided $15 million for the project, while the Clarendon Parish Council is providing an additional $5 million.

- George Henry