Four-lane highway recommended for East Bank/East Coast road linkage
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcZOuENKnMc” width=”100%” height=”315″]
− road safety features included
− project designs to be completed by April 2019, construction expected to begin by mid-year
− public consultation will be carried out
− new road will reduce congestion by providing commuters with an alternative route
DPI, Guyana, Monday, December 17, 2018
The East Bank/East Coast Road Linkage Project is now one step closer to realisation, with a four-lane highway recommended by the consultant.
Senior Highway Engineer of RITES Limited, Rajendra Sothwal made the recommendation on Monday during a scoping meeting at the Critchlow Labour College.
Sothwal explained that “the main alignment is four-lane, four connectors are there, one connector is Aubrey Barker, second connector Haag Bosh, the third connector is Mocha Arcadia and the last one is great Diamond connector. The total length of the project is around 25 kilometres and the main alignment is 13.5 kilometres. We propose the four-lane highway’s speed to be around 100 kilometres per hour.”
It was made known that the new road will be outfitted with four ground culverts, four steel composite bridges, intersections, sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
Two residential properties at Goedverwagting, 18 at Ogle, 9 at Aubrey Barker road, 14 at Mocha and 6 at Diamond will be affected during execution of the three-phase project.
The project implementation has three stages, which are the detail project report preparation, construction supervision, post construction stage-defect liability.
According to the senior highway engineer, the road safety provisions include metal beam barrier, concrete crash barrier, highway lighting, traffic signs, pavement marking, impact attenuators, road studs, pedestrian footpath, cycle tracks and shrub plantation, and in raised median to cut headlight glare.
“We have taken care of the whole safety aspect like we have doubled up junctions etc., This project will be the landmark for Guyana and especially for Georgetown, the new road will significantly reduce traffic congestion in Georgetown,” Sothwal explained.
The scoping meeting focused on the environmental impact following construction works on the road. Technical Services Manager of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Nigel Erskine said another meeting will be held to facilitate the public’s input.
“We are anticipating that the designs for the project will be completed by April next year and then a few months later by mid-2019 we will proceed with the construction works. There’s another scoping meeting planned for next year, it will be public consultation, so persons can come and engage the consultants,” Erskine explained.
The government, through a loan provided by the Government of India, has entered into an agreement for the project. Erskine added that the Ministry is pursuing $120M from the line of credit with India to facilitate the project.
The new road will reduce congestion by providing commuters with an alternative route, to East Coast Demerara, Berbice and the capital city, Georgetown thereby improving safety and comfort.
Ranetta La Fleur.
Image: Keno George.