Weeks could have been taken off the Peel Road reconstruction project if the private contractors worked at weekends, says the Minister in charge of highways.
Giving evidence to a Tynwald scruting committee, Infrastructure Minister David Cretney said the 70 week, £4.3 million scheme was on target for completion in July next year. Most of the work is being carried out by a private contractor.
But he said: ‘I visit that road quite a lot and it seems particularly at weekends nothing is is happening at all.’
Recognising the inconvenience that the public has had to put with for months, he called on the contractor to maximise the time it spend on the site.
But he acknowledged that weekend working would have cost implications - and lessons should be learned for future projects.
Mr Cretney told the committee: ‘From my own personal experience, the contract could be speeded up but that could have a cost implication. In future we should try and be a bit tighter with the arrangements we have.’
Committee chairman Dudley Butt MLC suggested that weekend working could have ‘saved us perhaps eight weeks’ - a figure which the Minister did not dispute.
Earlier the Minister was asked if he thought his department was too big amid suggestions a restructuring of government could be announced soon.
Mr Cretney replied that he did not think it was too big but the decision on restructuring ‘lay elsewhere’.
Also giving evidence was Department of Infrastructure chief executive Nick Black who was questioned about the Meat Plant.
He revealed the department as landlord was close to signing a 15-year lease with the Isle of Man Meats who it was proposed would carry out work to update processing equipment.
Questioned about vital airlinks, Mr Cretney said he now believed it would be another couple of weeks before BA CityFlyer confirmed future frequency of flights to London City.
