Infrastructure projects 50% complete in Berbice

─ rehabilitation of school infrastructures in progress

─ roadworks ongoing

─ rice production increase

DPI, Guyana, Friday, August 17, 2018

Infrastructural projects within the East Berbice-Corentyne region are fifty percent complete. This was disclosed by Region Six Chairman, David Armogan on Wednesday last during the launch of Berbice Expo 2018 at the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce.

“Of the 75 projects that were allocated for this year, over fifty percent have been completed already and we are now moving into the other fifty percent,” Armogan explained.

According to the Regional Chairman, projects allocated for the education sector are currently ongoing since schools closed for the August recess and should be complete before the new school year recommences in September. These projects largely include rehabilitation of school infrastructure.

Major works that are ongoing in the agriculture sector have seen farmers benefitting from more produce. The Regional Chairman says this has been most evident in the rice sector that has seen an increase of 40 bags per acres from 25 bags per acre.

Armogan said the regional administration has been repairing dams for farmers to gain access to transport their produce. “We have allocated money for that and we in the process of starting that now. We are also doing lots of work in the drainage and irrigation to make sure in the rainy season we do not experience much flooding,” he outlined.

However, he said the DBST [Double bituminous surface treatment] roads have not been able to withstand large amounts of traffic. Therefore, they now have to move from DBST to Asphaltic concrete roads.

“We found that some of the roads that we have built in the past, the DBST roads have not been able to withstand a large amount of traffic traversing these structures. The trend now is to move away from DBST roads and build asphaltic concrete which will cost more money and which means we have to construct fewer roads. But in terms of being able to sustain these roads and in terms of durability, I think we will we will have better roads that last much longer so our people within the residential areas can have easier egress and ingress to their communities,” The Regional Chairman said.

Kimberley Ferreira

Image: Akeem Thomas

Editor’s Note: A double bituminous surface treatment is a method of road/pavement construction that involves two separate applications of asphalt binder material and mineral aggregate on a prepared surface. Double bituminous surface treatments are used for surfacing roads and streets, parking areas, open storage areas, and airfield shoulders and overruns