Oct 10, 2026
3 min read
The Georgetown Mayor and City Council is spending more than G$12 million to install 100 new manhole covers, replacing inadequate covers that Mayor Alfred Mentore says have caused injuries and led to compensation payments.
The project, being undertaken with local manufacturer BACIF, follows earlier attempts to cover openings with concrete and wood. Officials said those approaches presented problems with fit, durability and pedestrian safety.
“This is a contract where we've spent over $12 million of the City Council funds to do the first 100,” Mentore said during an inspection of the installations on Friday.
He said the Council intends to extend the work to other areas, with more than 200 manholes across Georgetown requiring attention.
Mentore described the programme as an effort to reduce injuries suffered by pavement users, noting that the Council had been required to compensate people over the years.
“I know of this area where the citizens fell or injured themselves in these manholes, and I thought that is a matter that I obviously had to address based on the number of complaints that we've had,” he said.
The Council’s release identified Haley Street, between Princess and Durban streets, as a location for the first installations. In a separate update, Mentore also identified work along Regent Street, from Smyth Street to Camp Street.
From concrete and wood to cast iron
Deputy City Engineer Kabila Hollingsworth explained that the engineering department initially used concrete covers, but encountered design and fitting problems.
“Originally, as piloted by the City Engineer's Department, we used concrete at the mayor's request, but we realized that the concrete was not sustainable,” Hollingsworth said.
The Council then turned to wood, which also presented challenges. It subsequently sought a supplier and a more suitable design.
Hollingsworth identified the new covers as cast iron and said BACIF’s local manufacturing capacity and experience in foundry work helped support the project. The covers also incorporate security mechanisms intended to prevent tampering.
City Works Committee Chairman Gregory Fraser said the wooden covers had created raised sections along the pavement.
“There was no longer a smooth surface when you reach to those manholes. There was a lift because it is wood,” Fraser explained.
He said the new design offers a more accessible walkway.
“You can walk here with a walking stick and not get injured, not stumble,” he said.
Fraser also recalled complaints involving covers that had been removed or improperly replaced after drain cleaning.
Keeping covers secure during floods
BACIF Managing Director Peter Pompey highlighted another problem with the wooden covers: they could float away when the area flooded, leaving openings hidden beneath the water.
“I've seen for my own self persons fall into these holes,” Pompey said.
“These manhole covers are anchored in a way that will prevent any movement unless the movement is there to clean the drain,” he explained.
Mentore said the installations were being checked for positioning, strength and durability, including through testing with vehicles.
Beyond the manhole programme, the mayor outlined plans for further work in the Promenade Gardens, including rehabilitation of the bandstand, as well as a playground in Albouystown, bridges and the Council’s administrative building.
He indicated that another batch of 100 manhole covers is planned. The engineering department will guide the selection of additional locations as the programme expands.
