BUDGET 2023: Over $136B for ‘transformative’ roads and bridges

A total of $136.1 billion has been allocated in the 2023 budget to enhance roads and bridge networks across the country, including several transformative projects such as the Demerara River Crossing.

This is a significant increase from the $67.9 billion expended in 2022 to improve road connectivity across the ten administrative regions.

This year the government will move ahead with engagements with its Surinamese counterparts on the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge even as Guyana forge ahead with the construction of the access road.

Preparatory works have commenced on the construction of the New Demerara River Bridge, the first high span, four-lane permanent hybrid concrete and cable-stayed structure. To support this the government has allocated $5.2 billion to ensure an aggressive work programme.

The ocean-going ferry to ply the Georgetown to Northwest route has been completed and has departed India en route to Guyana and is expected to arrive in Port Georgetown early this year, however, an amount of $675 million is allocated in Budget 2023.

Other projections to have received allocations include:

• Upgrading and widening the Corentyne Highway from Palmyra to Crabwood Creek – $27.7 billion
• Upgrade of the East Coast Railway embankment road into a four-lane highway from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau and continuing to the Mahaica River bridge – $16.6 billion
• Upgrade of the East Bank Highway from Prospect to Timehri – $4.1 billion
• Construction of the East Coast – East Bank Road linkage from Ogle to Eccles – $10.3 billion
• Rehabilitation of the Linden-Soesdyke Highway – $5 billion
• Construction of a four-lane highway from Meer-Zorgen to Schoonord (Phase 1) and Schoonord to Crane (Phase 2)
• Construction of the Wismar Bridge
• Construction of the Kurukupuri Crossing Bridge.
• Developing the Parika to Goshen route and the Sand Hills to Makouria link – $500 million
• Construction of the Nos. 52 and 58 farm to market roads.
• Construction of the Ituni to Tacama road in the intermediate savannah – $218 million is allocated in Budget 2023.

In the hinterland, $3.4 billion was spent in 2022 on the upgrading of critical roads, with an additional $5 billion budgeted in 2023, for works in areas such as Moruca, Port Kaituma, Issano, North Pakaraimas and Butakari.