-will open lands for housing, agriculture, tourism

GOVERNMENT will, in a month’s time, start clearing a path from the site of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge on the West Bank of Demerara to Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo, as part of a broader plan to construct a new four-lane highway.

It was reported, recently, that the country’s infrastructural transformation is expected to be catalysed by the construction of a new ‘fly-over’ Demerara Harbour Bridge which will stretch from Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).
The new four-lane high-span bridge, which is scheduled to be completed in three years after the commencement of work, will replace the existing structure which was built in 1976, over four decades ago.

Testimony to the new bridge’s ability to catalyse infrastructural development is government’s plan to construct a new four-lane highway, which will not just reduce traffic congestion, but open lands for housing, agriculture and tourism.

President Irfaan Ali, following an inspection of the path for the new road link on Saturday, said the highway will open thousands of acres of land for housing, massive agriculture and agro-related projects, and for tourism and other related activities.

The President, during his inspection of the site, was accompanied by Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; junior Public Works Minister, Deodat Indar; representatives of the Guyana Defence Force and other government officials.

Included in the team were local experts who will, in effect, reduce the cost government would have incurred had it hired foreign consultants. The team toured every potential spot for the road alignment, stopping at all the intersections and bridges from Canal No.1 Polder, WBD, all the way to De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara.
Based on what was observed, President Ali was confident that the entire stretch, all the way to Parika, will be graded within a month, as the team’s hope is to complete the project by the end of April, 2021.

Development will not stop there, said President Ali, adding that the road will clear a path for the construction of a road from Parika to Bartica, in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The potential 56-kilometre road from Parika to Bartica is expected to run along the Del Conte Road on the East Bank of Essequibo to Monkey Jump and then to Bartica.
Additionally, the government has already retailored the Ogle to Diamond bypass road project to conform to the loan available to execute the major works. The new four-lane East Coast-East Bank Linkage Project will extend from Ogle to Haags Bosch, rather than to Diamond.

Progress, in a past report, said development is expected on all fronts in 2021, the year of investments and development.
“What you will see next year is a flurry of development… there will be active work on the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, the new four-lane road, new hotels and the creation of 50,000 homes,” said the President, following a recent inspection of the site for the new harbour bridge.

He said work will commence on the construction and rehabilitation of roads in hundreds of communities; new infrastructure will be created; and there will be major developments in every sector.

Additionally, private-sector investments are expected to increase, stretching from the construction of new shore bases to service the oil-and-gas sector, to new office complexes and other private development projects.

The President anticipates that with increased construction, there will be an increased demand for quarry and construction materials and labour.