CONSULTANCY services for construction of the road between the East Coast Demerara (ECD) and East Bank Demerara (EBD) are being sought before construction commences, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has said.

Guyana and India in March 2016 inked a US$50M loan agreement for the road project. Minister Patterson said the Exim Bank loan caters for US$1M to be set aside for the consultancy services.

The road would bypass Georgetown which has suffered from increasing traffic congestion over the years. It will run between Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara to Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.

The road is expected to have four lanes with two of the lanes fully paved.

Minister Patterson had pointed out that the project was a long-awaited one and can positively impact different sectors.

He emphasised the relief to users of the current EBD highway in having an alternative, as currently it is highly congested during rush hours.

The minister explained that the signing was only the first phase of the project and very soon the design and contracts and implementation processes will begin.

As part of the loan agreement, the contractor will come from India, though Patterson said it opens the door for the creation of local jobs that would see services provided by locals in every sphere, from sub-contractors for the building of the road, to labourers.

The mobilisation payment has been made, and the second phase of the stalled East Coast Demerara road-widening project is expected to begin in April.

“The contractor is mobilising. They had said to us that they would be on site by the beginning of May. We said that that’s too late, so we’re asking them to be here, the latest, April 1, to start the work,” Patterson said.

The US$46M project was awarded to China Railway First Group Limited. The first phase of the project, which was the preparatory works, had been completed since 2015 at the cost of some $500M.

While the commencement of the second half of the project was on hold, sand and other materials used in preparation of the expansion had been washing onto the existing road, leading many to believe that it was just a waste of tax dollars.