FOR more than a decade, the East Bank Demerara corridor has served as a critical artery in Guyana’s transport network and a symbol of daily frustration for thousands of commuters.

With traffic congestion worsening as the number of vehicles surges past 30,000 each day, the government recognised the need for a durable solution. And now, a major milestone is within reach.

Paving works are currently underway on the Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam Section of the Heroes Highway, the last phase in a transformative East-West bypass.

Completed in three phases, the Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam segment follows the Mandela to Eccles and Eccles to Diamond sections. When finished, the corridor will provide an uninterrupted link to Soesdyke. It will also ease access to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, a huge benefit for both passengers and freight.

Earlier this year, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali visited the project site and urged contractors to accelerate their timelines by implementing a shift system that would allow work to continue around the clock.

His visit underscored the administration’s resolve to deliver the project on schedule and alleviate the mounting burden faced by commuters and commercial transport operators.
Spanning 8.6 kilometres and featuring over 30 reinforced concrete bridges and two major roundabouts, the project was split into six lots. A consortium of contractors, including GuyAmerica Construction, VALS Construction, China Railway First Group Co., Ltd., NABI Construction, and H. Nauth and Sons Contracting Services, is undertaking the project.

Government officials have confirmed that several segment lots are now over 80 per cent complete and have ruled out any further deadline extensions.

The Ministry of Public Works, in conjunction with the Office of the President, has signalled that the timeline for delivery will be strictly enforced.

To complement this effort, additional contracts valued at $80.4 billion and $40.5 billion were awarded earlier this year to construct the next legs of the highway from Buzz Bee Dam to Land of Canaan and Land of Canaan to Soesdyke.

Contractors on these segments have been directed to create independent material transport routes to preserve the integrity of the newly paved sections.

The Heroes Highway project forms a cornerstone of the government’s broader infrastructure agenda as outlined in Budget 2025. Alongside the Linden to Mabura Road and the expansion of the Schoonord to Crane expansion, it reflects a vision for a more efficient, interconnected national road network that can meet the demands of a modernising economy.

With the Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam section nearing completion, Guyana edges closer to relieving one of its most pressing transportation bottlenecks and one step closer to a future of faster, safer and more reliable travel. (DPI)