700 new roads to be built in Regions 4 & 6 – Edghill

…$1B allocated for infrastructure works in Region 2

The Public Works Ministry, which received a $33.3 billion supplementary provision from the National Assembly last week, plans to construct hundreds of new roads with the money in the various regions, including 300 roads along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and $1 billion worth of infrastructure work in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Making this announcement last week was Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, when questioned on the $33.3 billion being requested for his Ministry. Of that amount, $25 billion is earmarked to go towards constructing and rehabilitating community roads.
Edghill informed the National Assembly how many of these roads would be built and in which regions, even answering questions that were raised by Opposition Members of Parliament about the status of road works in specific regions.
“What we’re asking this additional money for, is to do an additional 300 roads on the East Coast of Demerara. An additional 100 roads on the East Bank of Demerara. To make another 300 roads in Region Six.”

“To put in another intervention of another $1 billion worth of capital works in Region Two… and to do that $1.6 billion worth of work…,” Edghill said.
The Minister also provided a comprehensive comparison of Government’s road building efforts in the year 2020 to date. He added that this has increased from just over 150 roads, to last year when over 2000 roads were built.
“I can indicate to you that in 2020, we did 151 roads. In 2021 we did 198 roads. In 2022 we did 2251 roads. For 2023, where we are right now, we have 378 contracts that are under execution. And we have a number of other roads at the procurement stage,” the Public Works Minister said.
Meanwhile, $1 billion will go towards urban roads and drainage. A further $1.5 billion was allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of hinterland roads. Monies were also allocated for wharves and stellings.
Specifically, $2.5 billion for advancing works at Kingston goods wharf, the Kumaka, Morawhanna and Port Kaituma stellings. A sum of $568.7 million has also been allocated for critical rehabilitation works on pontoons for the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
In 2023, the Government of Guyana allocated $136.1 billion in the National Budget to upgrade or create new road and bridge networks across the country. This was a notable hike from the $67.9 billion spent in 2022 to improve infrastructure and connectivity in the country.
A breakdown shows allocations for projects such as widening of the Corentyne Highway from Palmyra to Crabwood Creek; the East Bank road linkage from Ogle to Eccles; upgrading the East Bank road from Prospect to Timehri; a new four-lane highway from Schoonord to Crane; the Ituni to Tacama road; and rehabilitating the Linden-Soesdyke Highway among others.
For other linkages, works will progress for the Kurupukari Crossing Bridge and Wismar Bridge in Linden (Region 10). In fact, the Wismar Bridge received a supplementary allocation of $2.1 billion last week. (G3)