A post-implementation review into the Salerie junction improvement project has been published.
The review, commissioned by the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, provides clarity on the project outcomes and looks at the various pressures and complications associated with planning a complex scheme in a tight timeframe.
The Committee has welcomed the report and acknowledged that there are clear lessons to be learnt in terms of the development and management of small capital projects.
Deputy Barry Brehaut, President of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure, said:
'The report has identified a number of shortcomings in the way the project was developed and progressed, and both the Committee and staff accept those findings.
'Clearly it would have been preferable for all checks and balances to have been fully completed before the start date. Had this taken place we would have had accurate information before work began, but it would not have changed the total cost of the project and it certainly would not have changed the Committee's position on the urgent need for safety improvements to be made to the junction layout.
'In terms of the project costs, and to reiterate what I have said previously, the original estimate of £50,000 was just that; it was a starting point for a complex project that was supplied as part of the planning application. The application went in, and therefore news of the changes entered the public domain, before a detailed survey of the works had been carried out. Following this survey, and before work began on the site, the estimate was revised to £85,000. The Committee subsequently requested additional safety measures as a result of further discussions with Guernsey Police and a road safety audit. This brought the final total to £114,000.
'Notwithstanding the issues identified in the report, there are a great many positives as a result of project. It is clear that changes to the junction itself have been a success. We have received encouraging feedback from pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, and the Committee remains firmly of the view that the changes improve the safety and experience of junction users.
'The post-implementation review confirms that the final costs were a fair reflection of the work carried out. The Committee was steadfast in its position that we had to make the junction safer, and we wanted to empower cyclists and pedestrians as per the goals of the Transport Strategy. While there are undoubtedly lessons to be taken from this, the project was a success on both fronts.'
