— as President Ali commissions Mocha to Diamond interlink road
IN addition to thousands of houselots, the opening of the Mocha to Diamond interlink road has created a “reservoir for job creation” along the East Bank of Demerara corridor, said President Dr Irfaan Ali, as he commissioned the new route at the crack of dawn on Monday.
“We will have more than three or 400 acres of land developed specifically for industrial development and then we have commercial development,” Dr Ali said.
The new road, which joins Mocha to Sixth Avenue, Diamond, represents a total investment of $5 billion. It was initiated by President Ali during his tenure as Minister of Housing and Water, prior to the change of government in 2015.
“When we left office, the foundation for this road was completed and for five years, nothing happened, so we came back and we completed this project,” President Ali said, as he stood on the podium facing the new thoroughfare, which now forms part of a massive $16 billion road network that will ultimately connect the East Coast and the East Bank of the Demerara River.
“So, there is the new expansion from Ogle [East Coast] that will also start next year, that will connect onto Diamond and all the way to Timehri [East Bank],” the Head of State posited.
The interconnected roads were designed in a manner that will alleviate the debilitating rush-hour traffic that customarily plagues the East and West Banks of the Demerara River, which are linked by an overburdened harbour bridge. The plan to bring relief also encompasses the construction of a spanking new river crossing, which is slated to commence soon.
Meanwhile, the Eccles to Diamond component of the road link has already been cleared for work to commence in early January 2022. “We are now in the process of awarding a contract to widen and reinforce the Eccles link that would be connected to the Mandela link in the meantime,” President Ali said.
He explained that the newly commissioned road represents the beginning of an experimental inter-agency approach with the Guyana Police Force to modernise the country’s roadways, whilst maintaining safe road usage. More specifically, the new highway is to be manned by three police outposts, two of which have already been positioned.
“The next phase, which will be very soon, is to connect cameras to those outposts and you know, we are testing right now with the cameras, speeding, and I am very happy to inform you that the cameras can even pick up if you have your seatbelts on,” Dr. Ali informed.
He said that currently, the government is examining the requisite legislative amendments to allow for strong enforcement of an electronic ticketing system.
In the meantime, the Mocha to Diamond road was conceptualised and constructed in a manner that prevents various forms of reckless driving, especially speeding. “These roads are not race tracks,” Dr. Ali warned.
CONSEQUENCES
Additionally, the President said that this new road was designed to accommodate only a specific category of vehicles such as cars, buses and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), not heavily laden trucks and machinery. “The big trucks, you will see barriers, if you think it is your responsibility to take down the barriers because you want to break the law, there will be consequences and you will face the consequences,” Dr Ali said.
Additionally, the Head of State assured residents that some adjustments will be made to ensure that a jogging path is constructed alongside the road, in keeping with government’s agenda of building and maintaining strong and sustainable communities.
“One of the things I have come to realise on this road is the new consciousness of people in our country with their health, and the road is used very heavily for health and exercise purposes,” Dr Ali said.
To this end, the President said that he has already asked the director of projects in the Housing Ministry to examine the government reserves alongside the road and to “see how we can extend a jogging path that is safely established for the people of the community.”
Dr Ali said that even though a lot work has been done, there is still much more to do. “We are working throughout the rest of the year; the contractors are already aware that their Christmas parties will be on site. There is too much to get done in too little time,” Dr Ali said.
The many infrastructural works currently ongoing across the country seek to address the debilitating issue of traffic congestion which is only expected to worsen as more and more vehicles are brought into the country.
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, assured residents that government is aware of the constant struggles faced by commuters, and is making every effort to remedy the frustrating situation. “Those worries are considerably lessened this morning, and I am sure many of you watching this broadcast are overjoyed as you will now be using this road to get to work quicker; you can sleep in a little bit more or spend more time with your families instead of in traffic,” Croal quipped.
The new road link is expected to play an integral role in alleviating the oncoming Christmas holiday traffic. Its opening also serves as a delivery on a campaign promise made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), even before the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. “We intend to deliver on every single commitment we made.… We have a contract with the people of the country, so we have to deliver on it,” Dr Ali assured.
Also attending the early morning commissioning was Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy and other officials of the Grove-Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council.
