A NUMBER of major infrastructural upgrades are expected in Region 10, including a new Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge.

This was revealed by Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo over the weekend when he met with residents of Region 10 during a second outreach to the region in as many months.

Some $550 million was initially set aside for infrastructural works on community roads across the region, but this amount has been increased to $1B. This is the biggest allocation yet to the region for roads.

The projects include the repaving of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway to the tune of US$120 million. The road is currently in bad shape and the government is hoping that the Islamic Development Bank approves funding for this project next month.

Dr Jagdeo noted that the government is also engaged in the designing of a new Wismar Bridge. The current structure has only one vehicle lane. This project, he said, the government hopes to have out to tender before the end of the year.

The new bridge, the repaving of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and repairs to the Linden to Mabura Road, together represent an investment of over US$300M in Region 10, the Vice-President told residents at the outreach held on the lawns of West Watooka House.

He urged them to ‘ferret out’ the misinformation on discrimination and neglect being spread by Coalition leaders in the region.

“When we got into office in the early 90s, that was before many of you were born, we had a situation where the bauxite industry was on the verge of closure. There was a company that the government at that time, the PNC government, had hired to close the industry,” Dr Jagdeo said, adding:

“We could not let that happen, and that is why we managed, throughout the period, to get an investor to come to this region; but we lost quite a few jobs because the bauxite industry used to hire about 1500 people; it went down to 500.

“We then decided, the new government, even with the burden to pay back the debts, we decided that we had to find a way to create employment in this region.

“And so, when I was Minister of Finance, I led a team here that did an area study, and out of that, as I explained the last time I came here in West Watooka, the road in West Watooka was opened up to agricultural lands.

“When I was Minister of Finance, we put in place the LEAF programme, that is the incubator just by the market. We put in place a small loan, a grant system. That is the LEN programme; we built the new hospital; we built Amelia’s Ward Housing Scheme, Block 22, a new water- treatment plant, the infrastructure in this region. So, when we get accused of neglecting the region, I say to the other side, you show me what you have done.”

The PPP/C, the Vice-President said, has a plan for the region, unlike the ‘Coalition’ leaders who had plans for themselves, and did meagre things for the people of Region 10.

The government, he said, is investing $400 million at Millie’s Hideout to develop a new housing scheme there, and will facilitate the building of 1,000 homes in that area.

The Linden Hospital will be upgraded, as well as power generation in the region, the Vice-President said.