WITHIN two days of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) announcing its temporary closure, the Linden to Lethem road has been reopened to vehicular traffic.

The road was ordered closed because of a damaged bridge between Mabura and Kurupukari which rendered it well nigh impassable.

According to MPI Permanent Secretary, Mr Geoffrey Vaughn, while the repairs are not of a permanent nature, the ministry took “quick steps” to return the road, which is the main artery to several interior locations in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), to normalcy.

The repairs, temporary though they are, he said, have resulted in little or no inconvenience to businesses in the region at reference.
He, however, hastened to acknowledge that despite the repairs that have been affected, the condition of the road continues to be a major concern to drivers who ply the route, who can’t wait for the commencement of Phase One of the proposed Linden to Lethem Road Improvement Project.

That project will see the upgrade of approximately 122.5km of road (inclusive of drainage) between Linden and Mabura Hill, and the construction of a new single or dual-lane fixed bridge across the Essequibo River at the Kurupukari ferry crossing, a distance of approximately 600m.

Vaughn said the ministry is currently advertising for consultancy services for a feasibility study and design for both the road and Kurupukari Crossing.

The objective of the consultancy, he explained, is to upgrade the most recent feasibility study that was done for the said Phase One of the project, which is to be funded by the British government, through its UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF) programme.