A total of $204.1 billion has been allocated to upgrade and expand the country’s roads and bridges network in the 2024 National Budget.
And another $73.2 billion is budgeted in 2024 to continue the government’s programme of constructing, rehabilitating and maintaining community roads.
In 2023, $134.3 billion was expended to improve road connectivity across the country, of which over $65.9 billion was expended under the miscellaneous, urban and hinterland roads programmes to upgrade, construct and rehabilitate roads across communities.
A further $8.5 billion was expended to construct, rehabilitate, and maintain bridges. Dr. Ashni Singh said during his budget presentation.
Among the major projects in 2024 is advancing the procurement process for the new Corentyne River Bridge with a contract to be signed and construction commenced in 2024.
Still on the Corentyne, the government is upgrading and widening the Corentyne Highway into a four-lane highway, and works have commenced on the reconstruction of 99 structures and the removal of utilities from the right-of-way.
Across the Berbice River, work has commenced to examine the possibility of a new high span bridge.
On the East Coast Demerara to West Berbice corridor, a sum of $10.5 billion is budgeted to continue the four-lane highway, from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau and continuing to the Mahaica River bridge.
Continuing westwards, construction of the New Demerara River Bridge progressed significantly in 2023, and a sum of $19.7 billion has been allocated to advance the construction of this bridge in 2024.
On West Demerara and moving towards East Bank Essequibo, in the first half of this year, the Schoonord to Crane section of the highway is scheduled to be completed. An amount of $9 billion is budgeted to advance these works.
Another $1.5 billion has been budgeted for the Parika to Goshen route and the Sand Hills to Makouria link; $4.1 billion for the construction of the Diamond to Grove bypass road to facilitate the upgrading of the East Bank Highway from Good Success to Timehri and $15.5 billion has been budgeted on the construction of the East Coast to East Bank Road linkage from Ogle to Eccles, which is expected to be completed in 2024. An amount of $15.5 billion has been budgeted.
Additionally, $8 billion is budgeted for the Diamond to Busby Dam highway; $10 billion for the rehabilitation of the Linden-Soesdyke Highway; $4.2 billion for the Wismar Bridge even as works will progress on the Linden to Mabura Hill Road and the 45 concrete bridges along the route from Mabura to Lethem.
In 2024, investments will be made in developing roads throughout the hinterland, including areas such as Kwebanna, Lethem, Mabaruma, Matthew’s Ridge and South Pakaraimas. A sum of $5.5 billion is budgeted for this purpose.
