Gov’t tackling obstacles to accelerate key road projects

– Major projects advancing without affecting citizens

The government is taking strategic actions to ensure vital road projects progress steadily without obstructions or causing major inconvenience to citizens.

By addressing key challenges such as resident relocation, traffic diversions and site rehabilitation, the government is keeping these projects on track for timely and satisfactory completion.

Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill provided these updates while conducting site visits to works at Grove, Aubrey Barker Road, E Field Sophia and Le Repentir Cemetery on Saturday.

One of the most significant projects currently underway is the Diamond to Good Success road expansion.

Thus far, all contractors for this project have begun drainage works.

Once this is complete, Phase Two begins.  This will see the development of the bases for light poles and rerouting Guyana Water Incorporated’s (GWI) utilities.

To minimise disruptions, a traffic diversion plan is being implemented, directing motorists through Jimbo Street into Diamond for access to Heroes Highway and the East Bank Public Road.

Minister Edghill assured that this redirection will not cause major disruptions to commuters nor will it come without prior notice.

He said “We want to be able to give notice that that will be coming on in a matter of weeks. Once we start getting excavation done, we’ll have to start diverting the traffic…We are asking all other drivers, cars, to start getting familiar with using the bypass. Because once we start blocking it, you can’t say you don’t know how to get through. It is all marked already, the roads are in place, the network is in place.”

Businesses along the construction route have also been catered for as the ministry promises to reinstate all their affected entrances.

Meanwhile, residents along Aubrey Barker Road’s construction path have been identified and consulted regarding relocation.

Instead of forcing relocation, the Ministry of Public Works has been working alongside the Ministry of Housing to find suitable solutions, ensuring the project moves forward while considering the well-being of those affected.

“As a government, we are very careful and mindful that some of these reserves people have occupied them for 20 plus years, 25 years, and as a result of that we are taking an approach of working with the residents who occupy the reserve to either relocate them to another area or to move them back so that they would not be in the path of the construction or they will not be in the work zone where they could be injured or damaged,” the minister said.

Beyond resident relocation, the government is also focused on clearing sites that have been misused.  

As of late, businesses and residents in the area around the Le Repentir Cemetery have been dumping garbage in mass amounts in the cemetery’s vicinity.

These actions have created a public health risk and significantly obstructed roadworks and cleanup efforts. 

As such, the ministry intends to implement a major cleanup operation before work begins on road rehabilitation efforts.

By addressing these challenges directly, the government reaffirms its dedication to providing high-quality road infrastructure that fulfils the requirements of a rapidly developing nation.