$2B road upgrades for East Coast Demerara

─ Buxton priority farm-to-market road for rehabilitation 

A number of roadways along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) will soon be enhanced to allow improved traffic flow for road users.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P., said the upgrades will be part of the government’s infrastructural development agenda for the East Coast, East Bank, and Georgetown.

Works will be undertaken on the East Coast Railway Embankment from David Street, Kitty to Enmore, as well as a number of internal roads under the ministry’s 2022 miscellaneous road programme.

He said the ministry is replacing the steel bridges and, “we want to be able to open up the railway embankment for greater traffic flow.” The minister was at the time addressing residents of Buxton at the ministerial outreach at the Buxton-Friendship Community Centre Ground on Monday.

He further explained, “that [Rail Embankment Road] will complement industrial development that is to take place on the East Coast, which will provide real employment for East Coast people.”

Minister Edghill said the internal community roads will be done through a collaborative effort among the Ministry of Public Works, the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (NDC) and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

Under the comprehensive miscellaneous road programme, the sum of $2 billion is being expended to upgrade and expand roads from Industry to Mahaica. A number of these works have been advertised for tender, while works have commenced in some communities. 

Additionally, the ministry has expended millions of dollars to improve farm-to-market roads across the country, particularly along the coast. This will be done in collaboration with the agriculture ministry.

During the interactive session, residents requested that the government assist in upgrading their farm to market roads which are in a deplorable state. These roads, residents stated, will allow them to transport their produce from farm to market, and allow them to access ancestral lands which were inaccessible for years.

Minister Edghill has committed to immediately rehabilitating the priority farm-to-market road. A team from the ministry will return to the community to consult with the residents and identify the road.

“I will also return here next week Wednesday to meet with small civil works contractors within this area to discuss your capacity to assist the ministry in this effort,” he noted.

Minister Edghill said once these works are completed, it will bring government closer to achieving its goal to enhance connectivity across the country. However, he believes that more can be done if the residents and government can work together to transform their communities and by extension, the country.

 “What we need is communication, dialogue, and peace that will promote development, and when the economic pie expands and there is greater development, and we also get more, we can be able to have a stable environment.”

So far, government has injected billions of dollars to rehabilitate several roadways and bridges among other much-needed development to improve the lives of all Guyanese. Among these are the $21.2 billion Ogle to Eccles Road.