The Ogle to Eccles bypass road, which has been dubbed as a crucial link needed to reduce travel time and open up more lands for development, will soon get underway.
The government plans to sign and award the contract on Friday.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, on Sunday, announced that the contract for this road would be inked this week as part of the government’s plans for infrastructural transformation across the country.
This highway is part of wider planned development for a new four-lane highway that will link Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
Edghill also noted on Sunday that the road is expected to eventually link the Ogle Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, EBD.
The new road will be constructed where there are large unused lands and the Public Works Minister posited that it will allow for those lands to be developed.
The Indian-based Ashoka Construction company had entered the winning bid for the Ogle to Eccles four-lane highway after it reportedly offered a five per cent discount within its bid.
After the expected contract signing, Edghill told the News Room that the road works would start “as soon as is practicable.”
Routine administrative processes and inclement weather are considerations ahead of the project’s commencement.
The Public Works Minister also lamented how long the project was delayed.
“The importance of this project was known before 2015.
“The monies and everything for this project were already secured,” he told the News Room.
In 2015, during a visit to India, then President Donald Ramotar received a US$50 million loan commitment from the Indian Exim Bank to fund the road project. After the change of government, however, the project was stalled.
“This road is delayed by at least five years so we are anxious to get it underway,” Edghill said.
Meanwhile, Edghill also noted that the government is pursuing a raft of infrastructural works to upgrade and expand Guyana’s road network. Road widening works from Diamond to Timehri and along the ECD railway embankment can be expected.
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