IN keeping with government’s overarching plan to develop and modernise infrastructure across the country, the Ministry of Public Works has set aside some $200 million for major road works in Big Biaboo in Region Five and Moleson Creek in Region Six.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, in an invited comment on Sunday said that the scheduled road upgrades are part of the government’s roadmap for growth and advancement in the local economy.
He noted that for years, residents of both communities have unavoidably traversed the deteriorated roads which have outlived their time.
Minister Edghill said the impending work will significantly improve the standard of living of those who reside in those communities. Upgrades to the road networks will also provide opportunities for improved commerce and innovation.

In Region Five, road construction will be done on the Big Biaboo road, De Hoop, to the tune of $50 million and in Region Six, work on the roadway from Moleson Creek to El dorado will be done to the tune of $150 million.
Minister Edghill noted that in both communities, the roads are earthen. He said new concrete roads will be constructed as a way to modernise the infrastructure and provide a more accessible commute to and from those communities.
He further noted that the Moleson Creek to El dorado road will play a pivotal role as it will lead to the proposed site of the new Corentyne River bridge. The Corentyne River bridge is part of government’s plan to link Guyana and neighbouring Suriname.
According to the minister, the construction of these roads would largely influence housing in the area.

“You know the story, once a road is there and people can get access, people would try to develop the area for housing and eventually live. People will start moving in because there is a road and there is access. So, even if there [isn’t] a planned housing scheme, people own lands in those areas so there is a likelihood of people moving in this direction,” he told this publication.
He noted that presently he is unaware if there are any plans to develop housing schemes in the area but he expressed a strong belief that persons who own land there would take up the opportunity to develop those lands for home-building.
Minister Edghill further stated that several persons already reside in the area.

“Right now if you go down in that mud dam, which I did, there are houses in the area but very sporadic, so I guess once you have a road that could increase. And there is also a school at the back there and that’s also a resource and a reason that I believe persons would be open to moving there. But the issue right now with the school is that the children have to be traversing in sometimes knee deep [in] mud during the rainy season and the only access was tractors and sometimes the tractors would stick, but this new road would alleviate that issue,” said Minister Edghill.