…due to heavy rainfall

CONSTANT pressure from heavy-duty lumber and other trucks, coupled with the recent

heavy downpours, have, over the past few weeks, caused severe eroding of the surface and foundation of the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, resulting in numerous breakaways and several minor accidents, given that drivers are not aware of these eroded ‘holes’.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has received several reports of such accidents and has since officially informed drivers of the situation, advising drivers to proceed with caution in the vicinity of Kairuni, Yarakabra, Amelia’s Ward and Kara Kara.

Several breakages were temporarily corrected by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) over the past months, but the heavy downpours have now caused the curb walls at sections of the highway to be completely eroded, and the entire foundation of the thoroughfare is now void. A few months ago, breakages at Moblissa and Low Creek resulted in water gushing into the yards of residents, thus eroding the foundations of their houses.

Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian has described the situation as life threatening. He is particularly concerned with the breakaway at Kara Kara, since it is located on a slope in reasonably close proximity to the Kara Kara Creek.

“Apart from this, there are other breakages on the road because of the rain. (Those) would have to be fixed right away; (they) are posing serious threats to life and limb (and) to vehicular traffic on the road,” Morian posited.

He had, a few months ago, suggested that a walkthrough of the entire highway be done by the MPI to enable that ministry to ascertain the weak points on the highway.

“So, first thing I would recommend here is that the (MPI) do a walkthrough survey; look at the stress points and threatening areas, so that (they) can do corrective work,” he stated.

Concerns have also been raised about the other factors responsible for the degradation of the road, such as residents removing sections of the highway’s curb walls to make driveways to their homes or pathways to their villages.

It has also been alleged that lumber trucks would drive over the curb walls to park off of the road; and this, after a period of time, would have destroyed the road.

On a visit to the highway on Saturday, this newspaper observed visible dents and cracks along the road. One civil engineer explained that those are as a result of the highway not having a solid foundation; and it has been made clear that with the continuous pressure from vehicular traffic, especially the heavy duty trucks plying the Georgetown to interior locations, the highway may soon cave in at various areas.

The Region 10 Road Safety Organization had recently called for logs to be transported by river, so as to save the only thoroughfare connecting Region Four to Region Ten and to several other interior regions.

Regional officials have also called for the highway to be equipped with lights, since visibility on the highway is very limited at night, especially when foggy conditions are prevalent.

Drivers are, further, calling on the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to repair the eroded sections earliest, as the inclement weather during the Christmas season may result in road accidents.