RESIDENTS of Mabaruma have praised the authorities for re-connecting the town with the Barima River community of Morawhanna via a four-mile stretch of road which was overtaken by vegetation for several years, under the past administration.

The vital roadway provided an economic link for farmers and residents of both areas for decades, but, for years, it was overtaken by the forest. Within the past several weeks, a contractor has been recapping the roadway to provide access once more to vehicles and persons are already making use of the roadway.

On Thursday, the Guyana Chronicle travelled to the area and persons there noted that they were relieved that the once-vibrant roadway which was a paved, all-weather road, was being re-opened.
“We use to come there and catch fish and crab with our vehicles in the early 1990s on this road which was paved but then the road was left for forest to take it over,” a Mabaruma mother noted.

She said that, for almost two decades, vehicles could not enter the roadway, adding that although the forest took over the road, many persons, including teachers, who work at Morawhanna, would walk to and from the riverside community to get to work from Mabaruma, along the track.

On Thursday, a family pulled up in their car to venture down the road on a fish-catching expedition. ”This road was a little track, you can see the remains of the track further up where the road ends, but now we can drive till here and catch fish,” a woman in the group noted.

It was noted that the area was also famous for crab-catching expeditions which usually occur during the annual ‘crab-march’ season during the August holidays. As such many residents are planning to venture into the area when that time comes.

The contractor, International Export and Supplies, is expanding the width of the roadway and at the moment, the road is also being raised by at least two feet. In addition, revetment works will be undertaken to maintain the strength of the roadway.
At the moment, residents of the two areas are anticipating that the road will provide another option for families since they will now be able to tour the communities near Morawhanna.

During the 1990s, Morawhanna’s infrastructure crumbled as a result of poor maintenance by the regional authorities, resulting in many families being forced to relocate as the waters of the Barima River flooded most of the community. As such maintenance of the roadway also fell by the wayside.

At the moment, fuel suppliers have made the community a base and persons in the region are hoping more attention will be paid to re-developing that once-vibrant community.