$1.45B Aubrey Barker Road expansion opens to public after months of delay

The final stretch of the Aubrey Barker Road expansion project will be officially opened to the public today, Sunday, March 8, 2026, months after the scheduled completion. This was revealed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill during a site visit on Saturday, where he reiterated, “Aubrey Barker Road will be open tomorrow; works will be fully completed today [Saturday].”
The project forms a critical part of the wider urban infrastructure network linking key corridors across Georgetown and the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). This major artery in South Georgetown will connect commuters to the capital city through South Ruimveldt to the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) via the Heroes Highway and to ECD through the Ogle Bypass Road.

Back in January, Edghill noted that despite delays caused by the relocation of persons and water network mains, expansion works to connect the Aubrey Barker Road in South Ruimveldt to the Ogle Highway are progressing and are set to be completed by the end of January. He had stated that there was only one section remaining (Lot 26) to be completed. The works there, he noted, were stalled due to the relocation of residents.
“All 19 persons for this particular section have been removed. They have been properly relocated, and the settlement programme for most of them is currently ongoing. At the moment, there is no hindrance in relation to the relocation of informal settlers along this path. And we must say that the Ministry of Public Works has been very patient with us as we dealt with the social aesthetics that were needed to get these persons relocated,” an official had stated.
With these two issues already addressed, the contractor had recommenced work on the expanded road. During a visit to the project site back in October 2025, President Dr Irfaan Ali had explained that this new four-lane expansion along the Aubrey Barker Road was designed to significantly improve traffic flow and connectivity across major urban and residential areas. The president emphasised that with the completion of this section, commuters will soon be able to travel from Ogle to Mandela Avenue on continuous four-lane roads, easing congestion and improving accessibility for thousands of daily road users.
When combined with existing and ongoing expansions, the infrastructure will total 12 lanes of connected roadway between Eccles, Mandela, and Ogle – forming part of the Government’s broader vision for a modern, interconnected urban corridor.
This development, President Ali noted, reflects the Government’s aggressive drive toward national modernisation and urban transformation. The President also revealed that Government planners are looking ahead to even greater integration of transport infrastructure. He reaffirmed that these massive infrastructure projects – from new four-lane highways to potential rail systems – represent the foundation for a new urban Guyana, one that supports sustained economic growth, new housing zones and faster, safer travel.
The $1.45 billion expansion project includes the four-lane upgrade of the Aubrey Barker Road, complete with medians, bicycle lanes, walkways, bridges and improved drainage. Construction on the four-lane expansion project is being executed in phases as the Government accelerates the delayed work. The project started in August 2022 and was expected to be completed and delivered in July 2023. T
he contract was awarded to Surrey Paving Aggregate Company Caribbean Limited. However, amid delays faced in the completion of the project, the Public Works Ministry had sent out tenders in February 2024 for the continuation of the 1.3-kilometre road, which will be expanded to four lanes.