works completion
ENGINEERING Coordinator of the Work Services Group in the Ministry of Public Works, Mr Leon Goring has reported 90 per cent of road projects for 2008 was completed.

He told a recent media briefing at the Ministry, in Kingston, Georgetown, that what is outstanding is expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2009.

The finished ones were undertaken in Regions Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Island), Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice).

Goring said 28 miles of roads were built under the miscellaneous programme and a US$132,000 asphalt plant was purchased from Viyanak Road Equipment of India, replacing the 25-year-old one which broke down several times, causing delays.

He said some initiatives were taken to prepare Guyana for hosting the 10th Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) and $43.9M were earmarked for tidying in around Georgetown, including patching of roadways, repairing three bridges, road marking and painting, cleaning drains and canals and removing garbage along selected routes.

Goring said Government allocated $800M for roads maintenance in the interior, $380M for the purchase of equipment and the remainder for actual work.

He said, of the equipment acquired, one excavator with small low bed to transport vehicles and one tractor with a 10-ton tipper trailer were given to the Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) where work has started on one mile of a bituminous road and that is about 50 per cent done.

“The cost of that project is estimated at $26.6M. Stockpiling of materials is also in progress for the construction of 4,729 metres of a bituminous chip seal road in Lethem and tat is estimated to cost $25M,” Goring noted.

He said both the Mahdia and Lethem projects are being done by the Public Works Ministry’s Force Account Unit which, this year, will repair the main road leading from Mahdia to Garraway Stream bridge in Region Seven (Cuyuni/ Mazaruni).

Goring said the Public Works Ministry, in collaboration with the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) provided $181M for road projects in the interior.

He said the Ministry will continue to remove unauthorised structures from Government reserves.

According to Goring, in a few instances, scrap metal dealers were found in default and, in other incidents, equipment had to be impounded because of illegal mining on roadways in the interior.