Princes Street gets upgrade after decades of neglect

DPI, GUYANA, Friday, May 18, 2018

Residents living along Princes Street, in Lodge, will benefit from much-needed rehabilitative works being carried on the road which had become structurally unsound.

Ministry of Public Information Foreman, Marlon Mc Rae told Department of Public Information (DPI) that the emergency repairs are critical since approximately 153 meters of the road has slipped and must be corrected.

“Between Cemetery Road to Haley Street, we have a slippage due to intense rainfall for the past month. We’re scarifying the road, paving and compacting it with about two inches in asphalt,” he explained. Other sections of along the road, he added, will be patched. Once weather permits, according to the foreman, the works are expected to be completed by Sunday, May 20.

According to Princes Street resident, Mondale Smith, in addition to the inclement weather, several months ago a truck toppled over, “damaging the shoulders and revetment leaving the road structurally unsound.” He welcomed the much-needed repairs, “I’m happy to say that I’m seeing works being done and these were not a part of budgetary plans, this is meeting the needs of people. Commendation to the contractor and those in the Ministry of Public Works for opting to fix Princes Street because it is a main street.”

The Ministry is also undertaking repairs on the Ann’s Grove main access road, on the East Coast of Demerara. The scope of works includes surfacing of critical sections with asphaltic concrete and crusher run, and rehabilitation of the road shoulders. Once complete, other road works will commence within the community.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has been constructing/rehabilitating roads in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten. The sums of $1.2B and $800M were allocated for miscellaneous and urban roads respectively, in the 2018 National Budget.

By Ranetta La Fleur

Images by Leon Leuong