$2B budgeted for upgrade of the Sheriff/Mandela roadway

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, November 27, 2017

Government is moving ahead with the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue Roadway Enhancement Project. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, made this announcement today in the National Assembly during the presentation of the 2018 Budget.

The Minister explained that the Roadway Enhancement Project is still on-stream and physical works are expected to commence next year to the tune of $2B. The Minister said that the sum provides for the upgrading and the resurfacing of the roadway, from the northern end of Sheriff Street through to Homestretch Avenue. He said that the section from Homestretch Avenue to the Mandela Avenue/Hunter Street junction will be widened to accommodate four lanes of traffic.

“Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, pedestrian overpasses and a roundabout at the Sheriff Street/David Street junction, will all form part of this project, in an effort to improve road safety,” Minister Jordan further stated.

The first section of Mandela Avenue will involve expansion from a two-lane to a four-lane roadway with a median in the centre, while the second section will comprise three lanes.

The project which is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the government is proposed to be conducted in six lots, and will run for a duration of two years.

The Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue Roadway Enhancement Project was announced under the previous government and was approved by the IDB at a cost of US$60M. Earlier this year, Minister Jordan had disclosed that the Coalition government had applied to the IDB to have the monies for the project, which was sitting idly for a number of years, applied to housing. to fund new projects.

Meanwhile, also budgeted for in 2018 is $2.7B, for the widening of the East Coast Demerara Highway to four lanes, extending from Better Hope to Annandale and for the upgrading of the two-lane road between Annandale and Belfield.

The project is being funded by the administration and the Export-Import (EXIM) bank of China through a US$46M line of credit. It will entail the installation of traffic signals and signs, road markings, sidewalks and street lighting.

A further $1.2B has also been budgeted to complete the West Coast Demerara Road Expansion project and to equip the four pedestrian overpasses with elevators to facilitate the aged and differently abled pedestrians, Minister Jordan related.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur