TENDERS are expected to go out soon for work on the West Coast Demerara/East Bank Essequibo roadway from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie. The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Hydraulics has secured the approval of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for the project’s bidding documents.

Chief Roads and Bridges Officer of the Public Works Ministry, Ron Rahaman, made this disclosure and said, “The CDB gave its no-objection of the bidding document. We expect to make the bidding documents available to interested contractors on Monday.”

A total of 31 kilometres of roadway is expected to be rehabilitated, while 28.5 kilometres of foot-paths for pedestrians and 20 kilometres for cyclists would be developed under an agreement between the Government of Guyana and the CBD.

Additionally, the CDB is engaged in doing a review of the massive project.

This partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank represents the fourth road improvement project, and has a financing cost of US$46.7M, and a project life of five years. The actual road improvement works are expected to be completed within two years.

At the launch of the project in March, subject Minister Robeson Benn explained that the primary objective of the project is to increase efficiency and safety of road transportation along the West Coast Demerara/East Bank Essequibo corridor.

Benn pointed out that infrastructural development has a multiplying effect on socio-economic advances in the country, particularly in rural communities.

“There has been significant growth,” he said, adding that constrained infrastructural development poses real challenges to growth.

Benn’s ministry, as per the CDB agreement, would be tasked with maintenance, which was identified by the CDB as a risk to sustainability of the completed works. The Government would also be expected to report annually on its maintenance works, particularly since the project monitoring and evaluation component of the agreement is key to ensuring standard and quality of such undertakings.

Additionally, a project management team would be supported by a steering committee and the Ministry, all of whom would report to the CDB. The Project Coordinator is Kester Hinds, while the CDB focal point is Glen MaCarvell.

The project has several components, including the actual road works, road safety awareness at the level of the schools and community, capacity building, engineering services, and project monitoring and evaluation.

Works on the road are expected to begin before the end of the year.

(Vanessa Narine)