Grenada Gravel Concrete: Telescope Mining Operations
In operation since 1944; the Telescope Division/quarry is located on the Windward North Eastern coast in the parish of St. Andrew's; Grenada's largest parish and agricultural hub. The quarry is located approximately 1/2 mile from the town center; Grenville; and only a few meters away from the coast line.
The raw materials currently mined at the site are basalt rocks whose properties make it a high quality durable material ideal for high strength concrete or asphalt road surfaces. Basalt rocks; created from volcanic lava; have a fine grained texture with minerals including olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and feldspar. Basalt rocks are high in specific gravity due to the rich amounts of Magnesium and Iron. The specific gravity of the rocks mined at Telescope averages 2.85.
The quarry came into operation as a direct consequence of the construction of Grenada's first Airport in 1944; the Pearls Airport. During the construction of the 4500 feet runway for (located only a few miles from the quarry site); this rock in its crushed form was used in the asphalt mix to create the runway. 47 seat planes were the largest that the runway was designed to withstand.
The airport hosted the arrival and departure of small to medium size aircrafts for 40 years. In October 1984 when the Point Salines International Airport; renamed Maurice Bishop International Airport in 2009; was opened in the south of the country, Pearls was shut down to air traffic. The site has since been used as a construction site and racing circuit. However, even with 40 years of active service and an additional 25 for other activities, the strength of the asphalt still holds with little signs of weakness. In 2004 following the passage of Hurricane Ivan, the Pearls airstrip had the challenge of hosting the arrival and departure of multiple U.S. military heavy duty planes which were significantly above the weight specification for the airport. Nonetheless, the strength of the asphalt was maintained throughout the weeks following the passage of the Hurricane. Today, there are still very little signs of stress on the asphalt runway.At Telescope, Gravel, Concrete & Emulsion Production Corporation mines rocks which are sold in the following forms:
| CRUSHED ROCKS: | LARGE ROCKS | |
| 1 1/2" Base | 4-9" Boulders | |
| 3/4 Crushed Stones | Blasted Rock | |
| 1/2" Crushed Stone | Rock Armour < 1 Ton | |
| 3/8" Crushed Stone | Rock Armour < 1 Ton | |
| 1/8" Crushed Stone | Customized Sizes | |
| Quarry Binding | ||
| Customized Sizes |