1,200 community roads to be rehabilitated countrywide in 2023

Guyanese countrywide can look forward to some 1,200 community roads being rehabilitated this year, through the Ministry of Public Works.

Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, who made the recent disclosure, said the ministry will be joining forces with the ministries of housing and water and local government and regional development, to execute the transformative project.

“Very early in the new year you will see works being executed in about 1200 roads across the country in every local authority area.

“I know somebody might be thinking ‘I hope my road will be in that list’ but just think about the thousands that were done in 2022 and the hundreds that were done in 2020 and 2021 when we came into office. And with this additional 1,200 that will be coming out early in 2023, will see actual work being done.”

Minister Edghill highlighted that most of the works under the community roads programme are awarded and will be executed shortly.

Additionally, the ministry will be focusing heavily on advancing farm to market access roads, which will significantly support agricultural development.

The development and maintenance of hinterland roads are other focus areas of the government, with over 100 kilometres of hinterland road currently being rehabilitated in rigid pavement concrete.

Meanwhile, major projects that were launched in 2022 are well on the way to completion, including the Conversation tree to Durey Lane, which will see the completion of a four-lane road. The Cemetery Road to Mandela Avenue four-lane road will also be completed along with the Independence Boulevard project.

“There will be major work in terms of our road network in 2023, we will see actual work on the East Coast Demerara upgrade which will be work undertaken from Sheriff Street all the way out on the East Coast, improving the whole corridor to four lanes.

“Our main access roads we are continuing to build out…we want to continue with the road Ogle to Eccles which is being funded by the Indian Exim Bank, these are all projects that you will see visibly before your eyes,” he added.

The minister relayed that 2023 will be a very robust and exciting year for the ministry, in terms of project execution.