Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 03, 2014 News
As Brazil and Guyana continue discussions on the asphalted paving of the Linden to Lethem Road, the lives of those who presently traverse the laterite structure are in some amount of danger.
This is because the surface of the road has deteriorated to the extent that it now has craters capable of consuming a bus. Also, several sections of the road are flooded.
Kaieteur News understands that the surface of the road is severely depressed and drivers cannot revert to the shoulders of the road simply because is it covered with debris.
Commuters are now forced to take some of the debris from the shoulders of the road to fill sections of the road so as to accommodate traffic.
When contacted yesterday, Hinterland Engineer of the Public Works Ministry, Niem Mohamed admitted that the road is in a terrible state. He was however quick to add that the roadways are not impassible. He said that emergency works are being done on a bridge near Iwokrama.
Mohamed explained that the Ministry of Public Works’ Force Account Unit had undertaken the rehabilitation and maintenance of the Linden to Ituni/ Kwakwani and Mabura road.
In a previous interview with this newspaper, Mohamed had related that Government will be spending $100M to repair that road and $70M on the Mabura Road. These sums are part of the $1B allocated in this year’s National Budget to rehabilitate and maintain hinterland roads.
Mohamed had told Kaieteur News that currently, the Ministry is looking at ways to address the structures owing to their bad conditions. He noted that the Ministry will be subcontracting certain aspects such as trucking of material and rental of equipment.
Yesterday, Mohamed said that tenders were already submitted and are currently in the evaluation process which he expects to be completed soon.
Mohamed related that works will entail grading and shaping of the structures and preparing and overlaying the area with lateriate.
Mohamed said he could not comment on the status of ongoing discussions between Guyana and Brazil for the paving of the road.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett had told the media that an engineer’s design would cost about US$10M and discussions are currently ongoing with the Brazilian Government in this regard.
Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance, during his budget 2014 presentation said “Negotiations have advanced substantially between the Brazilian and Guyanese technical working groups regarding the preparation of a design study for the construction of the Linden to Lethem road.”
Earlier this year, Transport Minister Robeson Benn said that the feasibility study recently undertaken for the upgrade of the Linden to Lethem Road indicates that it makes economical sense to improve only the Linden to Mabura carriageway to an asphalted concrete surface.
He related that the feasibility study was done through the Inter-American Development Bank by the SNC Lavalin Company. Benn disclosed that the Government of Guyana and the Brazilian National Development Bank are currently looking at this investment. Meanwhile, he stated that to upgrade the stretch of road from Linden to Lethem would cost about US$280M.
As such, Government will continue to maintain the structure.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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