Several roads in communities on the West Bank of Demerara in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) will soon be built at a cost of $1.3 billion. The projects are part of a larger development plan launched by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, on Friday.
A total of 74 contracts were awarded under the plan. These contracts amount to $1.3B and will focus strictly on the rehabilitation of roads. This is in addition to the $8.6B in contracts awarded for another 200 roads previously.
“This housing scheme is the biggest in the country… We have done a significant amount of work in this community and more is to be done,” Indar said during a visit to Parfaite Harmonie on Friday.
The projects will include the reconstruction of all roads in Parfaite Harmonie as well as other areas, including Onderneeming, West Minister, Recht Door-Zee, and Lust-en-Rust. Meanwhile, Indar stated that main access roads will be rehabilitated.
Altogether, 18.9 kilometers of road will be built. The contractors have already been mobilized, and work is expected to commence soon. The execution of these extensive roadworks aligns with a commitment made to residents by President Dr. Irfaan Ali during a visit to the community in July this year.
In his remarks, Minister Indar reminded residents of the ongoing efforts by the government to enhance the region. “That is the philosophy of the government. When you have a community that has the capability, we try to use the capability as much as we can, and in this process, we are doing that,” Indar said.
He also urged the contractors to ensure that the roads are built to high standards and that there is an adequate sand supply during the construction process. “Make sure that you have sand supply and that the PSI (per square inch) for the concrete meets the specifications stated in the contracts,” Indar urged the contractors. “Make sure that it is tested and that we have the right concrete… because if it’s not, we will have a lot of issues,” Indar warned the contractors.
The roads are expected to be completed within the next three to four months.
