Residents, road users anticipate early completion of Eccles to Mandela Road

The roundabout, which will join the new Eccles to Mandela highway, is receiving its final touches and is expected to be completed soon.

The designed throughfare will give vehicles and commuters access from Mandela Avenue to Eccles and other communities along the East Bank Demerara, using the alternative concrete four-lane highway.

Allende Henry said the project is a major boost to the country’s road network, and will provide additional benefits to Guyanese.

“Actually, I am not living around the area, but still we would be able to benefit because of the amount of traffic we are going to have, these additional roads will assist,” Henry told DPI on Sunday.

He said it is difficult to understand how the roundabout should be utilised at this time, since works are ongoing. However, he is self-assured that when the tools are down and all signs and markings are affixed, the roundabout will be easily accessible.

Resident for over 20 years, Gary Cox, is excited about the new infrastructural upgrades in the area, noting that he has never witnessed that level of infrastructural development there.

“This is a very good thing they are doing here so you could drive across to the other end, instead of going straight and all the way around…I feel good about this road,” Cox added.

For Lucy Park, the Eccles to Mandela Road expansion creates greater opportunity for business folk and budding entrepreneurs. She also lauded the government’s move to create more roads.

“It’s a good initiative, at least the corner is going to be a bit brighter. We are going to have more roads, given that the number of vehicles is increasing every day,” Park said.

Meanwhile, apart from the roundabout, works at other parts of the Eccles to Mandela Road project are moving apace.

The road project is divided into six lots and consists of a four-lane road with dual carriageway of two lanes each and jointed reinforced concrete pavement in accordance with international standards.

The four-lane throughfare forms part of the East Bank Demerara alternate road link and is expected to reduce traffic congestion significantly.

The entire project is valued at $2.3 billion and is another massive initiative undertaken by the PPP/C Government, as it plans to advance infrastructural development nationwide.