US$75M Good Success to Timehri road project commences

Aug 09, 2024 News

Section of the EBD roadway.

Kaieteur News – The long-awaited East Bank Road Improvement project for Good Success to Timehri which will be executed through the Ministry of Public Works has commenced officially.

This is according to a notice shared by the ministry on Thursday via its Facebook page. The notice reads, “As of today, and throughout the project’s timeline, the undertaking will be overseen by the contractor, China Road and Bridges Corporation, who will be responsible for rectifying the existing deficiencies along the Good Success to Timehri road, encompassing the pavement, drainage, street lights, signs and more. To minimize disruption to traffic flow, repairs may be conducted during nighttime hours. These activities will be closely supervised by the consulting engineers from Sheladia Associates Inc.”

The duration of the works is expected to be 975 days with the end date set for March 31, 2027, the ministry shared. It was reported that the government through the Ministry of Public Works in February this year signed the design and built works contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation to the tune of US$75,887,907.67.

Kaieteur News had reported that the upgrade to the East Bank of Demerara roadway is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Loan Programme – Programme to Support Climate Resilient Road Infrastructure Development and the Guyana government, to the tune of US$117 million. Through this programme, the IDB would finance US$100 million towards the project while the Government of Guyana would finance the remaining US$17 million. The loan was signed on March 6 last year and it is for five years.

At the signing ceremony, it was revealed that approximately 23.7 km of roadway will be constructed. The soon to be upgraded two-lane roadway will feature additional sidewalks, cycle lanes, and the construction of concrete drains, for the safety of vulnerable road users: pedestrians and cyclists. The design of the roadway will also include thermoplastic road markings, LED street lighting, and traffic signs.  The Chinese contractors will also reconstruct the bridges and culverts, as well as widen the culverts along the road from Good Success to Timehri.

It was reported in the media also that the project will be divided in three sections, with Section A covering the stretch from Good Success, beginning at the Ganga Temple, to Supply, while Section B extends from Supply to the Soesdyke Junction.  Section C continues from the Soesdyke Junction to the Timehri Junction, near the Timehri Police Station. A notable feature of the project is the integration with the Soesdyke/Linden Highway through the construction of a roundabout, designed to facilitate smoother traffic transitions. During a previous meeting with residents from the Diamond/Grove area in December, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill had reminded residents that when works begin, the project comes with some level of inconvenience and urged their support in this regard. The minister mentioned also, that when construction is ongoing, the bypass road through Third Avenue, Diamond to Good Success, then to Bushy Dam, Craig, will also facilitate lighter movement for vehicles.

• commences, Good Success to Timehri, Ministry of Public Works, project, Road