Leonora Market vendors to be relocated to facilitate $66M road works

Vendors plying their trade at the Leonora Market, West Coast Demerara, Region three, will soon be relocated, to the make way for the rehabilitation of the old road valued at $66 million.

The contract for the 30 feet wide concrete road was awarded to Y. Bola Construction Services.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Deodat Indar, M.P, said a land has been identified aback of the market to relocate the vendors who are currently plying their trade on the roadside.

This new area, which will be developed to make way for the much needed road works, can accommodate over 500 vendors.

On Saturday, the minister connducted an outreach in the area where he met with vendors and provided an update on the project.

He explained that there was a challenge with the portion land which was initially proposed and so, immediate steps were taken to identify another area to house the vendors during the road works.

“There are a lot of people that are plying their trade at the side of the road so we cant move them and we have to fina a place to put them…so we found some land that is the market property to be developed and we will bring everybody here,” Minister Indar explained.

In the interim, vendors are expected to benefit from a clean-up initiative to improve the market’s environment. The works will begin on June 19 in collaboration with the ministry of public works, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the market committee among others.

“ Immediate works will start with cleaning of the drains at the side of the road to improve the drainage system and the tidying up within the market because some people were complaining about bushes and some snakes and so we’re going to try to at least lift the area up a little before the road construction.”

In April, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali visited the market and met with the vendors, where he announced government’s intention to construct a new tarmac and upgrade the Lenora market old road to create a more enabling environment for business.

Some $69.3 million will be used to execute these works which includes the rehabilitation of the road and upgraded to the market.