ROAD works at Port Kaituma commenced recently, a move which residents welcomed over the weekend given the high cost of travel around the North West District community.

At the same time, persons in the area are calling on the authorities to ensure the contractor install culverts along critical parts of the road network. For years, the roads in the North West District community have been in an impassable state and this has led to taxi drivers calling high fares for residents to traverse to various parts of the community.

A contract in the sum of $213.2M was awarded last year to KP Thomas and Sons Contracting Incorporated by the government to rehabilitate the Port Kaituma Road from the airstrip to the Fitzburg Housing Scheme. On Monday, a businessman told the Guyana Chronicle that while residents welcome the works which are ongoing, there is need for the construction of culverts along the roadways.

The contractor started working on the stretch of road several days ago, a move which residents anticipated, since similar works were undertaken in the Region recently, mainly at Mabaruma.

“The airstrip road is usually under water during May/June rains,” a resident, noted as he called on the project managers to ensure culverts are constructed along sections of the roadway.

The contractor has compacted and raised the level of the roadway which leads to the airstrip and according to reports; the measure is being put in place for concrete works to be undertaken in the future.

At the moment, taxi drivers charge persons $1000 each for travel between the airstrip and the waterfront at Port Kaituma. The cost rose over the years given the state of the roadways which were characterized by large crater-like pools. Works were undertaken on the roadway which connects Port Kaituma with Matthew’s Ridge last year and the improved state of roadway has led to a reduction in travel time between the two mining communities.

In April last year, Minister of State , Joseph Harmon during a Post Cabinet briefing, announced that a contract in the sum of $334.2M was awarded to International Imports and Supplies, for rehabilitation of roads from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge, Phase Two.