Highways to progress
By M.Z. Ali
OCTOBER 5, 1992 was very significant for the people of Guyana. It was on this date that Guyanese saw the rebirth of the nation and they embarked on a new and painful rebuilding process. It was on this date that the PPP/CIVIC Government was swept into power, and promptly moved into implementing policy initiatives it promised the electorate, including the rebuilding of roads, which are vital lifelines in order to propel rural-urban growth, broaden farm-to-market accessibility and inter-community links in an effort to help salvage the country's economy, according to the 1993 Inter-American development Bank, "from the decline that took place throughout the 1980s". Having set the mechanism for quick action, roads accounted for $428.4 million in 1993; $1.6 billion in 1994; and $8.1 billion in 1996 from the G$18.9 billion allocated to socioeconomic infrastructure rehabilitation by the Government under its 1993-96 Public Sector Investment Programme. This programme was co-funded by the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
As a result of these expenditures in the early years of the PPP/C Government, more than 100 abandoned roads were rebuilt in Regions One (Barima/Waini), Region Two (Supenaam/Pomeroon), Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands) with Leguan getting six miles and Wakenaam five and one half miles.
Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Region Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo) and Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice) were also included in the rebuilding process. Region Eight (Siparuni/Potaro) also benefited from a US$6.6 million project.
In Region Four, like other regions ambitious road works came on stream with two major thoroughfares, Georgetown/Linden and Georgetown/Mahaica at the top of list of numerous projects to improve these vital lifelines in the country.
The 23.5 mile Georgetown/Timehri road was reconstructed at a cost of $673 million, while the ambitious 35-mile railway embankment road from Georgetown to Mahaica, costing some US$13.8 million is well on the way. This has been completed up to Enmore. This part of the road is to be commissioned soon and open to two-way traffic.
Apart from these two roadways, last year alone contracts were awarded for 45 road projects in Region Four, costing $273,045,190. These projects cover villages on the East Coast Demerara and the East Bank Demerara. Most of these projects have been completed, while work on a few is continuing.
The Unity/Mahaica old roadway was also completed at a cost of $25 million, while a deviation road from Lancaster to the Mahaica Police Station was constructed, thus lessening some of the more difficult turns motorists experienced in the area.
Another road, this time the Samantha Point Road aback Grove on the East Bank Demerara was just completed under the Poverty Alleviation Project. The building of this $10 million road was done by the Government at the initiative of President Bharrat Jagdeo.
Central Government has over the past few years also helped in the Georgetown area and has since repaired and/or reconstructed most of the streets in the capital and surrounding areas. They include Alexander Street, Wellington Street, Robb Street, Main street, Avenue of the Republic among others. Roads in Campbellville and Kitty, some in Charlestown, Albouystown and Alexander Village/Ruimveldt have also been done over. These works were carried out under a US$20 million three-year programme to repair the city's roads and drains. (These works should have been undertaken by the Mayor and City Council). Thanks to the help given by Central Government, Georgetown is once again returning to the charm it formerly possessed.
The Guyana Government also completed the reconstruction of the 44.45 mile Soesdyke/Linden Highway and roads in Linden costing $2 billion. Incidentally, these two projects were completed at less than the projected costs. However, instead of returning the money to the Treasury, the Government, acting on a request by Linden residents, used the remaining sum to carry out other road works in the area, including the road leading to the cemetery.
The road works in Linden were also supposed to be carried out by the Mayor and Town Council there, but unfortunately they were unable to do so, thus the rescue by the Central Government.
The 37-mile Essequibo Coast road, which in the initial stages experienced some hitches, has now been completed, with the Government spending $3.4 billion on the project, bringing ease to commuters.
In addition, a number of small internal streets and access roads were completed on the West Coast Demerara, West Bank Demerara and the East Bank Essequibo. Last year alone, the Region Three Administration spent $35.0 million on these projects including one on Wakenaam and two in Leguan. The building of streets in administrative Regions in the country is an on-going process, and construction works are continuing in several villages throughout Guyana.
Two of seven street projects that have been awarded in 2000 in Region Five have been completed to date. Work on the other five projects is streaming ahead and officials are optimistic that in a matter of months the rest will be completed. The contract sum of these seven projects amounted to $42,385,874. The two projects completed in Region Five are Flapper Street and Double R Street.
Five projects in Region Six including the Stanleytown Road, the Cumberland Main Street and the Mara Road are also moving along. These projects are to the tune of a contract sum of $21,818,680.
While all these works are going on, mechanisms are set in place to carry out maintenance work to avoid deterioration as was the case with the previous PNC government.
Side by side with Government, private sector enterprises are also investing in road construction and repairs in recognition of the social and economic importance of an efficient, reliable and safe system of streets.
Barama Company Limited, a Korean/Malaysian plywood company which started commercial operations in Guyana in 1994, constructed a road by-pass east of its complex at Land of Canaan on the East Bank Demerara. This by-pass was constructed at the cost of $70 million.
Building of roads, whether farm-to-market, access roads, streets, highways or otherwise, is only one of the many amenities this Government has put on the front burner because its sees roads as part of the web of life, and rehabilitating, building, expanding and maintaining them are components of its responsibility that hold no less importance than the implementation of programmes for job creation, income generation, trade promotion and stimulating the spirit of entrepreneurship.(Guyana Information Services)
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