–work projected to last 10 months

CONSULTANCY work on the design of the East Bank-East Coast Demerara Road Link Project, which will connect the villages of Diamond and Ogle, commenced last month, and is being done by the Indian public sector firm, RITES Ltd.

According to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI), the duration of the consultancy is 10 months, and the cost is pegged at US$1.321M.

The MPI said design will serve to reduce congestion and traffic delays by providing commuters with an alternative route linking the East Coast and East Bank corridors. “This will also alleviate traffic congestion within Georgetown, as desirous persons will now be able to circumvent the City,” the ministry noted.

It says the project will also be integrated with existing roads, which will allow commuters improved connectivity into the City and along the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara.
The existing roads that are to be connected include the Ogle Airport Road, Aubrey Barker Road, Haags Bosch Road, Mocha Arcadia Road and the Diamond Access Road.

Last July, High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the US$50M project was delayed due to challenges in identifying a suitable contracting company to execute the works.

When the preliminary study is completed, the company will discuss it with the government, following which a detailed project report will be prepared for the project to be implemented.

According to the MPI, topographic surveys are scheduled along the corridors mentioned, and as such, persons living along those areas are asked to cooperate with the surveying team during the execution of the works.