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Engineering Students Go Behind the Scenes at Highway 2000:
Summer Employment Programme Offers Unique Insight Into
Construction Process
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Dwayne Brown
(left) and Ramon Richards (right) are busy going
through a document at the offices of Bouygues
Travaux Publics Jamaican Branch. The two form part
of the six engineering students who are apart of the
firms summer employment programme. |
KINGSTON, August 8—Six engineering students from the
Portmore Community College/University of Technology joint
engineering programme have joined the contractors of Highway
2000, Bouygues Travaux Publics Jamaican Branch, in a summer
employment programme. The six were chosen from a group of 14
that participated in a three-week summer internship
programme in June.
“I am happy that I am a part of this summer employment
programme. It gives me the opportunity to experience and
participate in road construction at an international level,”
said student Dwayne Brown. “Having seen how our local roads
were constructed, it is amazing to witness the extensive
preparation and work that Bouygues puts into the
construction of Highway 2000. This is undoubtedly a first
for local road development.”
Dwayne’s classmate, Ramon Richards echoed those sentiments.
“This experience has allowed me to understand and appreciate
the kind of professionalism expected of a first-class
worker. Time management at Bouygues is of great importance
as the staff pushes you to ensure that time is managed
properly. I am very fortunate to have participated in this
programme.”
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Roxanne Campbell
is all smiles as she poses
for the camera in her office at the Portmore site
office. Roxanne is the lone female student on
Bouygues Travaux Publics Jamaican Branch summer
employment programme. |
John Metcalfe, Technical Manager, Bouygues Travaux Publics
Jamaican Branch, said that the company has introduced them
to the systems and procedures utilized in the construction
of Highway 2000. The students are exposed to the complete
operations, and are rotated throughout the six departments
of the company. “In addition, since three of these
departments are based at the Portmore site office, students
are provided with practical exposure to road construction,”
he said.
Though summer employees, the students form part of the
construction team, which enables them to be involved in the
critical areas of the project. They are active participants
in the design and detailing process and are very involved in
the technical aspects, including technical drawings, site
inspections, and civil works currently underway in the
construction of the Hunts Bay Bridge and the Portmore Toll
Plaza.
Roxanne Campbell, the lone female participant said, “As a
first year student, I was unaware of what field of study I
should select as a major. However, this experience at
Bouygues has provided some insight into Structural
Engineering, which is very interesting. I am convinced that
I want to complete my studies and return to Bouygues.”
Work on the Portmore phase of Highway 2000 is on schedule.
The three interchanges are steadily taking shape and the
main traffic diversion at Marcus Garvey Drive was opened to
traffic in July to allow the construction of the Marcus
Garvey Drive interchange. A 4-km stretch of the Dyke Road
from Passage Fort Drive to the Portmore Interchange has been
rehabilitated and is now open to the public. The box culvert
structure at Fort Augusta is complete and construction of
the ramps will start in October. The box culvert structure
at Dawkins Drive Interchange is also in progress and is
expected to be complete later this month as construction of
the ramps are scheduled to start in November. Construction
on the toll building started in June. The Portmore Phase of
Highway 2000 will complete by end of June 2006. |
