Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge roads slated for November completion

DPI, GUYANA, Wednesday, November 02, 2017

Rehabilitation works on main corridors and internal roads in Region One are moving apace. Works on the Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge road, which commenced May this year, are approximately 90 percent completed.

Hinterland Engineer at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jeffrey Walcott told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the works in Port Kaituma are being conducted in phases and the next scheduled stage – which will commence in 2018 – will see the continuation from Matthews Ridge to Baramita, “So there would be entire improvement in the community.”

In April, Minister of State Joseph Harmon during a Post Cabinet briefing, announced that a contract in the sum of $334.2M was awarded to International Imports and Supplies, for rehabilitation of roads from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge, Phase Two.

Project Foreman, Eddy Suwarno explained that the rehabilitation works have started from 34km of Port Kaituma’s road to Matthews Ridge and despite the weather constraints, the road will be completed in November. “We’re using laterite on the road doing eighth inches to ten inches to cap on the road, after which we will compact the road which might reduce to less than eight inch maybe a seven inch road bed.”

Suwarno also explained that prior to road works (in cases of emergency) government officials travelled by plane from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge, due to the impassable state of the road. He also disclosed that the company was forced to conduct additional work outside of the contract to mobilise their equipment in order to begin the road works.

Similarly, a contract in the sum of $213.2M was also awarded to KP Thomas and Sons Contracting Incorporated around the same time to rehabilitate the Port Kaituma Road from the airstrip to the Fitzburg Housing Scheme. Reports reaching DPI indicated that the contractor has not yet mobilised and is yet to commence works.

Village Leader for the Falls Top community, Emanuel Henry, is grateful for the works that were completed on the Falls Top stretch of road along the Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge road.

“The road was terrible since Barama left the area. When we leave from Falls Top to Port Kaituma it took three to four hours but now we taking like 25 to 30 minutes; plus, the cost for transportation has even reduced, so we feel a real ease that the road was done and the contractors have done an excellent job.”

Business man Latchmin Narayan also expressed similar sentiments. He pointed to the fact that business is now booming because of the road. “Before time we use to walk through mud, but we voted for this and this is what we’re looking for our children and grandchildren.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry is also rehabilitating roads within Port Kaituma in Region One. Walcott explained that, “The distinction between the roads within the community and major corridor is that we’re looking at rigid pavement for the airstrip to Port Kaituma, but within the community we’re trying to maintain the all-weather roads so basically it’s an unpaved surface.”

The Hinterland Engineer is imploring residents to practice responsible use of the roads, to protect them and monitor the weight limits of vehicles traversing them.

He said, “We’re looking at the long-term vision for Port Kaituma, the community which has been neglected for way too long. As part of our plans to develop hinterland regions, we are investing over $700M in the region and we plan on investing a lot more so that persons understand that they are part of the nationwide development plan, and our goal is to bridge the gap.”

 

By: Ranetta LaFleur