Gov’t sees massive interests from contractors for Eccles to Diamond Road

As works on the Mandela Avenue to Eccles Road continues, several local construction companies have tendered bids to secure the contract to construct the Eccles to Great Diamond Road-one of the highly anticipated roads that will significantly offset traffic congestion on the East Bank of Demerara.

During last week’s tender opening at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), government received bids from companies including RK Concrete Guyana Incorporated; BK International Incorporated; Toolsie Persaud Quarries Incorporated; K&P Project Management; Samaroo’s Investment; JS Guyana Incorporated; Collin Talbot Construction and Eron Lall Civil Engineering; and Puran Brothers Disposal among others.

The bidding document stated that the second set of works on this four-lane highway will be separated into 12 lots. Construction on each lot is set to last for 15 months.

In keeping with the PPP/C’s manifesto, the Eccles to Great Diamond Road is one aspect of the massive transformation of Guyana’s infrastructure. Furthermore, the road is among a number of other road projects on stream, including the Ogle to Diamond bypass road, which is also expected to further reduce the traffic congestion on the East Bank public road.

Guyanese can also expect infrastructural transformation and huge spin-off benefits from the construction of a four-lane highway in Region Three which will link the new and upgraded Demerara Habour Bridge at La Grange to Parika.

Notably, the remodelled East Bank corridor is a direct link to His Excellency’s Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s dream and vision of ‘Silica City’.

“We have initiated discussions on having a new area – a secondary city – developed. We are exploring this opportunity along the new four-lane highway because we are already seeing the pressure on the city itself,” President Ali had said last December.

He had also noted that as development and expansion continue, there will be more occupation on the outskirts of Georgetown, and the country must be prepared for it. As a result, government will be putting plans in place to ensure that such growth and development are facilitated.

President Ali had noted that the idea is not new, but was in the pipeline since he was Minister of Housing and Water years ago, when the concept of Silica City was introduced at a Building Expo.

“Now we have to think about the future, think about the floodplain, think about a natural expansion of the city, the industrialisation that will take place.”

Government is looking at an area on the Linden- Soesdyke Highway to connect the new four-lane road, which will act as a catalyst for development.