CABINET this week gave its no-objection to a contract worth more than $913M for upgrade of roads in several regions across Guyana. The tender was opened last June, and this programme is expected to commence shortly.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon, disclosed last Wednesday at his usual post-Cabinet press briefing at Office of the President in Georgetown that roads will be done in Regions Two(Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Four(Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

In Region Two, the roads in Onderneeming will be upgraded at a cost of $23.9M; In Region Three, more than $128M have been assigned to upgrade roads in La Parfaite Harmonie and in Windsor Forest; in Region Four, $298.8M will see upgrading of roads at Vryheid’s Lust; Sophia, Sections B and C; and Block ‘EE’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara. In Region Five, $46.8M will be spent on roads; while in Region Six, $415M will see road works at Cumberland, Guava Bush, Hampshire, Williamsburg, Bloomfield and Number 76 Village.

Just recently, Cabinet similarly granted its no objection to contracts that will see road works at Diamond, Eccles, Herstelling and New Amsterdam. The New Eccles Industrial Road will be upgraded at a cost of $65.9M, while infrastructural development in Herstelling will cost some $226.9M.

An amount of $13.7B was budgeted to improve roads and bridges in 2014. $12.9B of this sum will be spent on roads, and $844.2M will be spent on bridges.

Works are continuing on the four-lane access road to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the East Bank Demerara four-lane highway, the West Coast of Demerara Road, and the Parika/Ruby backdam roads.

Among other locations to benefit are Canal Numbers One and Two in Region Three, and East Bank Berbice in Region Six.

(By Telesha Ramnarine)