East Bank/East Coast road link feasibility study to commence January

DPI, GUYANA, Friday, December 29, 2017

The feasibility study, which will kick-start the East Bank Demerara/ East Coast Road Link Project, is set to begin in January next year.

Coordinator, Works Services Group, (WSG) Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn, at the Ministry’s end of year press conference, revealed that the feasibility study will be conducted at a cost of US$1.3M, by the Indian company RITES; following which works will commence. RITES is a Public-Sector Company that has been executing roads and bridges projects worldwide.

The East Bank Demerara/East Coast Road Link Project is an Indian Government-funded project. The US$50M line of credit from the EXIM Bank of India for this project was signed in March of this 2017, between Guyana and India.

Vaughn explained that since it is an Indian funded loan, one of the conditions requires that the contracting company must be of Indian nationality. “We have sent the draft contract to India and they responded yesterday, agreeing with it. So, we should have that contract signed on to, and works being executed. The company will be free to get one of the local consultancies to assist them with, probably, the survey or so.”

Vaughn added that more technical persons will also be hired to conduct works on the project.

The new roadway will serve as a corridor for communities on the East Bank of Demerara, including Perseverance, Mocha, Providence, Eccles, Peter’s Hall and Aubrey Barker Road. It will afford motorists the option to divert from the East Coast, and onto the bypass road to access East Bank Demerara.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur

 

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