AS part of the government’s plan to develop and upgrade the infrastructure across the country, the Ministry of Housing and Water, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will be expending over $800 million for road improvement works in six communities in Region Three.

These upgrades are part of the ministry’s Road Network Upgrade and Expansion Programme. The communities that will be targeted are Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie, Westminster, Onderneeming, Recht-Door-Zee and Lust-En-Rust.

The infrastructural upgrades will see 10 kilometers of road undergoing significant facelifts and the transformation of several earthen roads to an asphalted concrete surface. Additionally, the project will see the creation of reinforced concrete drains, culverts and sidewalks.

Minister of Housing and Water, Colin Croal, in an invited comment, on Monday, said that the scheduled road upgrades are part of the government’s roadmap for growth and advancement in the local economy. He noted the impending work will significantly improve the standard of living of residents who reside in the targeted communities.

He explained that these rehabilitative works will involve the construction of new concrete roads as a way to modernise the infrastructure and provide a more accessible commute to and from those communities.

Minister Croal underscored the importance of these road upgrades and noted that easier access to communities would be beneficial to business persons, residents and persons who traverse the communities for work or school.

He said that with the earthen roads transformed to asphalt, residents would no longer be faced with the added burden of vehicle repairs or the long commute by foot for those who rely on public transportation.

Minister Croal added that the earthen roads make it somewhat difficult for residents to traverse the community during the rainy seasons. He stated that the transformation to asphalt would allow for a better standard of living for the residents.

Further, Minister Croal noted that another notable benefits of road upgrades is that travel time will be reduced. He explained that persons can expect to get to and from their destinations more safely and with less hassle.

The upgrade works will include some sections of concrete drains being built. According to the minister, this will significantly aid in the easier flow of water through the drainage way and flood mitigation.

Works under the IDB project could commence as early as July, and the Ministry of Housing and Water, through the executing agency, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), has already advertised these projects for tender, Minister Croal said.