– other environmental impacts being considered, property owners being consulted

THE proposed 15.350km four-lane road, which will directly link Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), will not affect drainage systems.
RITES Limited, the company which was contracted by the Government of Guyana to design the road, has assured the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the project will not disturb drainage systems since there are provisions to avoid the disruption of those systems.

The EPA had urged RITES and the government that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed, given the magnitude and proposed components of the project.
In light of this, the EPA started its scoping exercise to interact with stakeholders and field questions which would be included in the terms of reference of the impending study.

Representative of the Ministry of Agriculture George Jarvis, during the scoping exercise, enquired if there are plans in place to protect the Lamaha Canal from unnatural contamination, since the canal is the main source of consumable water in Georgetown.
An Engineer of RITES Limited, Rajendra Sowthal in response said a massive fence will be constructed on both sides of the bridge which will connect the road which will lead to the main alignment.

Executive Director of the EPA, Vincent Adams, however, questioned the effectiveness of the fence, noting that during the construction phase the bitumen could run off into the conservancy. He instead advised the RITES to consider ways to trap the sediments.
The company has already conducted a site reconnaissance; completed a preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment for the transportation related project; and considered a community development plan for Ogle and Diamond.
According to RITES, they are in the process of evaluating legal and regulatory framework; evaluating baseline conditions relevant to the environmental parameters.

Activities in process include stakeholder point of contact; stakeholder identification; stakeholder outreach; public consultation meetings; communication plan and identifying priority issues for community members.

Sowthal said among some of the highlights of the consultation, would be the movement of several properties to cater for the construction of the road.

Information from RITES shows that 51 properties including two commercial properties will have to be moved. According to a breakdown of the information, two residential properties at Goedeverwagting will be moved; 18 at Ogle; nine at Aubrey Barker; 14 residential and two commercial at Mocha Arcadia; and six in Diamond.

Despite the imminent changes, Sowthal believes that the project is necessary because the existing roadway has exceeded its capacity and would need to be upgraded to a six lane road if the new road is not constructed. “The new road needs to double up and ease the congestion… approximately 24,000 vehicles will be directed to the new road,” he said.
RITES has so far considered the road safety provisions which include the installation of metal beam crash barriers; concrete cash barrier; highway lighting; traffic signs; pavement marking; impact attenuators; road studs; U-turn facilities; pedestrian footpath; cycle track and shrub plantation in raised median to cut headlight glare.

The project is estimated to cost US$104,000,000 and will be funded through a loan provided by the Government of India.

The proposed design for the main alignment comprises three sections. Between the Rupert Craig Highway and the Railway Embankment will have four lanes with a cycle lane on each side and covered concrete drain which will be used as a sidewalk; between the Railway Embankment and the GuySuCo compound will have a similar but expanded design, along with the cane field area which will have four lanes with a 40m reserve to separate the direction of traffic. All other deliverables will be submitted in 2019.

It will also allow for integration with the existing road network via a number of connector roads, measuring a total length of 9.62 km, at the following roadways: at Aubrey Barker, Haags Bosch, and Mocha-Arcadia Road and at Diamond Access Road.

According to the ministry, the consultant is expected to submit the Draft Detailed Project Report in February, 2019, the Final Detailed Project Report in April, 2019 and the bid documents in May, 2019.

Stage Two is expected to commence in July, 2019 with the construction and supervision of the road project.