FOLLOWING months of continuous and extensive infrastructural works in the Grove, East Bank Demerara area, drivers could now effortlessly pass through the once heavily congested area.
The Ministry of Public Works successfully completed the widening of this section of the East Bank Demerara Highway, with the construction of covered concrete drains.

“I think everybody in Guyana would have experienced some kind of discomfort and delays on this road, simply because of two things, the road was too narrow, and secondly, the encumbrances at the edges of the road were multiple, and the traffic was too much passing through here,” Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, said on Sunday evening, during an inspection of the works completed.

He went on to say: “Eventually this entire road will be resurfaced having been built to a particular quality, but the good news is that the traffic is flowing, day and night in the Diamond/Grove area, and, for the first time in years, traffic is moving smoothly through this area.

“If you would recall President Irfaan Ali would have visited and the Ministry of Public Works would have responded. I would like to thank the business owners as well as the citizens because in order for us to get this thoroughfare as wide as you are seeing it now, a lot of people were inconvenienced, businesses had to take temporary access while construction was going on, but along the entire carriageway, those 16 contractors were able to execute the work.

“We have a wider surface which means people are able to park off the road so that at all material times, we have two lanes of flowing traffic.”

The works done are part of a broader government initiative to improve traffic efficiency, reduce congestion and enhance safety for all categories of road users along the Diamond/Grove, East Bank Demerara corridor.

The Ministry of Public Works is also upgrading main streets within the Diamond and Grove Housing Schemes to function as an alternative bypass of the Grove area.

This is to accommodate the upcoming Inter-American Development Bank (IDB’s) Diamond/Grove to Timehri road project, which will see an upgrade to the East Bank Highway from Grove to Timehri, similar to that of the Sheriff/Mandela Road.

The alternate projects are being supervised by a team from the Ministry, headed by the Senior Project Engineer in charge of Traffic Safety and Maintenance, Kester Hinds, who explained the scope of work to be undertaken, which has already started.

He said: “These projects include the upgrading of Backstreet Diamond, Third Avenue Diamond, and First Bridge Access Road at Grove Housing Scheme. It will include widening of the existing roads/streets, construction of concrete drains and pedestrian walkways along the identified sections of roads.”

Additionally, Hinds said the Ministry is constructing a bridge at the end of the First Bridge Access Road in the Grove Section, to connect Old Grove to New Grove Housing Scheme. While other roads within Grove will see similar upgrades.

He related: “Communities in Grove, such as Samatta Point will become accessible from the soon-to-be-developed accesses.”

The Ministry will be spending approximately G$1 billion on these critical works that will significantly improve the commuting experience.

On the announced IDB Grove to Timehri road project, US$100 million has been given to commence this project. This loan was requested through the IDB’s programme to support climate resilient infrastructure development.