Coming soon: Street Lights from New Amsterdam to Corriverton
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, October 30, 2018
In the near future, the main roadway from New Amsterdam to Corriverton will be illuminated with high voltage light-emitting diode (LED) street lights.
Manager of Traffic/Safety/Maintenance at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Kester Hinds explained to the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the initiative is part of a larger plan to install highway lights in Regions Two, Three and Six.
“Under our infrastructure development project and budgetary allocations, we focused on safety, particularly along our public roads and for 2018, we have identified Regions Two, Three and Six where we will be installing highway lights,” Hinds explained.
To date, works in Region Two and Three have been completed. A total of 52 LED streetlights was installed from Aurora to Dry Shore, while 20 LED lights were installed at Dartmouth from Westbury to Phillip, in Region Two. Over in Region Three on the West Coast Demerara, 90 LED lights were installed from Crane turn to Ruimzieght.
In Region Six, the ministry has already installed street lights in New Amsterdam and is currently in the Corentyne area. The works are currently ongoing from Borlam to Fyrish, Ulverston to Adventure and Wellington Park to Neville.
“Under this Corentyne project for 2018, we’re installing 170 LED lights. We are executing the work in sections and cannot cover the entire road; however, every year we will target a specific area so that we can light from New Amsterdam to Corriverton. We will continue this in the next year. The lights contribute to a safer environment and we so want to light all the roadways in Guyana,” Hinds explained.
In March this year, the access road, from Don Robin Farm to Bolam Turn on the Number 19 Village public road, Corentyne, Berbice, was for the first time outfitted with street lights. These are capital projects costing $13M, $18M and $34M for Regions Two, Three and Six respectively.
In addition to these capital works, Hinds pointed out that community ventures are being carried out in Wakenaam, Anna Regina and other regions with the LED lights sourced from the Japanese government. Region Five will be targetted for similar initiative 2019.
This initiative is part of the ministry’s road improvement programme for 2018.
Sodium-vapour lamps have long been popular lighting options for roadways. However, LED’s are more economically efficient and assist in a sizeable reduction of carbon footprints.
The LED streetlights’ usage is part of President David Granger’s “Green Agenda”. This is aimed at ensuring that the country is built on environmental sustainability while balancing its economic development.
Ranetta La Fleur.
Images: Leon Leung.