Overpasses not open to public – Ferguson

Jan 11, 2018 News

The overpass at Houston

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, has cautioned residents against using the pedestrian overpasses along the East Bank of Demerara. They are incomplete.

“The works are still in progress, so for one to be using the overpasses without the Ministry declaring its completion or its commission is a no,” Minister Ferguson stated.

This is the first official statement from Minister since Navin Surujpaul of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) took his own life by jumping off the pedestrian overpass at Diamond on Saturday December 30.

Minister Ferguson called the incident unfortunate.

“Guyanese always love to test things, so you know what happened there, [it] is unfortunate that the gentleman would have used that facility to take his own life, when that facility is not intended for that. It is intended to get pedestrians from the western end to the eastern end and vice versa,” the Minister noted.

Minister Ferguson is appealing to the public that when the five overpasses are commissioned, to use the facilities with care, caution and consideration.

The Houston, Providence and Diamond overpasses are likely to be completed next month.

The construction of the pedestrian overpasses was announced in early 2017 by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at his weekly post Cabinet Media Briefing. He stated that US$364,000 contract was awarded for the pedestrian overpass at Diamond and a US$1 million contract for those at Houston, Peter’s Hall and at Eccles.

The construction of the overpasses at Houston, Eccles and Peter’s Hall were awarded to B&J Civil Works whilst those at Providence and Diamond were given to S. Jagmohan Hardware. During a post budget interview in 2017, subject Minister David Patterson said that overpasses will also be built on the East Coast and West Bank of Demerara between 2018 and 2020.