— residents, entrepreneurs in Mandela laud coming four-lane highway

THE new Eccles to Mandela access road is in its final stages and is expected to be completed in approximately two weeks.
On Monday, residents in the area said that the project will positively affect their businesses and ease traffic buildups.

“Well the traffic is really build up a lot, it’s hard to catch bus… on an afternoon, especially when you going up the [East Bank Demerara]… so I glad about this road because it gon be an easy access to go up the bank,” one Farm, East Bank Demerara resident Natasha Marques said.

Moreover, with her business located on Mandela Avenue, Marques noted that the new road will allow for more vehicles to traverse the vicinity of her shop, making it easier for her business to be noticed.

“I can’t wait for the road done to establish my business more, so I could be closer to persons passing by. It will benefit me a lot because it will be easier for persons to stop and buy,” she explained.

Murvin Davson, a tinsmith, also expressed satisfaction over the new highway.
“The new road I could see right now… the more people pass, the more people gon get to view and look into the kind of products I got and so. So, it’s going to be a vast improvement for me,” he noted.

Another resident and businesswoman, Shevon Niles believes that the road will positively impact her business transactions on a day-to-day basis and will be much safer for pedestrians.

“There are elderly citizens who usually traverse this road and it’s a challenge for them… so the signs and road markings will benefit the elderly and also women and children with disabilities,” she said.

The road works were divided into six lots and consist of a four-lane road with dual carriageway of two lanes each and jointed reinforced concrete pavement in accordance with international standards.

The contracts for the project were signed earlier this year and are the realisation of the commitment made by the current administration for advancing infrastructural development.

(DPI)