GUYANA’s road infrastructure was given a major boost with the signing of a contract that will see the construction of a new road link between the East Coast and the East Bank of Demerara.

The project, worth over US$100 million, (approximately GY$21.2 billion) will see the first phase of a new road completed, which will start from Ogle-Goedverwagting and extend to Haags Bosch on the East Bank of Demerara.

The new road will add a new exit from the busy East Bank corridor, at Eccles. The project is supported by a concessional line of credit through the India EXIM Bank. The building contract, which is expected to be completed in two years, was awarded to Ashoka Buildcon Limited, an Indian company.

This is indeed a transformative project in more than one respect. To begin with, it will significantly ease traffic congestion on both the East Coast and the East Bank corridors, which, despite the expansion of these roads to four-lane status, continues to be a nightmare for motorists and commuters alike. Countless productive hours are lost in long and agonizing traffic jams, particularly in the morning and afternoon periods.

The construction of this new road will serve to divert traffic away from the capital city from both ends by creating a link which shortens the travelling time of Guyanese to conduct essential business in either parts. In fact, the road will, in time, go all the way to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and ultimately link the two major airports of the country — the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri.

This is indeed visionary thinking on the part of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration and forms part of a much bigger infrastructural modernization programme which will see massive road networks connecting all parts of the country, and also providing access for Suriname and Brazil.

The road link to Brazil is already in place with the construction of the bridge across the Takatu River secured, and other plans already well advanced for the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River which will link Guyana and Suriname. These, along with the road projects currently underway including the Linden-Mabura projects, the new Harbour Bridge and several new bypass roads on the East Bank of Demerara, will have a transformative impact on the quality of life of the Guyanese people.

In the case of the Ogle road link, the project was initiated under the Mr. Donald Ramotar presidency in 2014, but was placed on the back burner by the Mr. David Granger APNU+AFC administration. As to exactly why a project as important to the well-being of the Guyanese people as this was put on hold by the previous administration is, at best, mind-boggling but also speaks to a mind-set of the last government that was anti-development and lacking in vision.

Truth be told, there was hardly any new project of national significance that was initiated by the APNU+AFC administration and many of the mega-projects initiated by the PPP/C, such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and the Speciality Hospital were aborted. Had the PPP/C administration not been removed from government in the highly controversial May 2015 elections, both the Ogle road link and the Amalia Falls projects, along with several others, would have been completed.

The construction of new roads undoubtedly also opens up new lands for housing, manufacturing and industrial development and agricultural development. Two new feeder roads in the Corentyne area will see the opening up of thousands of acres of agricultural lands. The old railway line on the East Coast of Demerara, according to Senior Minister for Finance in the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh, will be upgraded to a four-lane road. Plans are also afoot to resurface the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

This is what visionary thinking is all about. In the case of the PPP/C administration, it is vision with the capacity to have elements of that vision realized. Vision is defined as that ability to see things not as they are but as they will be. President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C administration have demonstrated that this cadre of leaders has what it takes to provide visionary leadership while at the same time taking proactive measures to ensure that such vision is realized for all Guyanese to benefit in keeping with the ‘One Guyana’ dream envisioned by His Excellency.