$8.3B upgraded Eccles Landfill Site road to open soon – Croal

Construction works to widen and upgrade the Eccles Landfill Site road, also known as ‘Dumpsite Road’ on the East Bank of Demerara, has been completed, with only a few finishing touches remaining.
The $8.3 billion project saw the widening of a section of the road, from East Bank Demerara Public Road to the Windsor Estate access road, into four lanes. The project was divided into six lots.
Back in December, Housing Minister Collin Croal had told the Guyana Times that the works to widen the road into four lanes had been completed with just the construction of a bridge remaining at the western end, connecting to the East Bank public road.
On Saturday, Croal revealed the bridge is now completed and final touches all that remains are final touches.
“In all six lots, the road work is completed. In fact, four of the six is 100 per cent [completed]. The last lot – Lot Six which is closer to the East Bank public road, the road is complete and all that is left [to do] is the road markings and putting in the guard rails… And at Lot One, which is closer to Windsor Road, the road is completed and all that is left to do is [installing] the guard rails and [do] the road markings,” he explained to this newspaper.

Government had previously widened the Windsor Estate access road into four lanes and so now works are being done to widen the turn from the Eccles Landfill Site road onto the Windsor Road to match the expansion works.
“But [these additional works are] not affecting anything,” Minister Croal assured, adding that persons will get “…full usage [of the Landfill Site road] very shortly.”
When opened, the newly expanded Eccles Landfill Site road will provide an alternative route, connecting the East Bank Public Road to the Heroes Highway at the Eccles Roundabout or Jaguar Roundabout.
Works had been done several years ago to widen Eccles Landfill Site road, from the Windsor Road to the Heroes Highway, to the tune of $1.2 billion. Those works were done by the Public Works Ministry.
The expansion of the other section of the road was undertaken by the Housing Minister in keeping with the transformation of Guyana’s infrastructural landscape.
Previously, the Housing Minister had explained that this $8.3 billion road widening project aligns with the government’s broader objective of crucial connector roads to the East Bank thoroughfare, ensuring greater traffic flow and enhanced connectivity throughout Guyana.
“Well, that road is intertwined in terms of the massive plan as a result of where we’re placing the [new Demerara River] bridge. You know, the [Eccles Landfill Site road or] Industrial Road has always existed. But the reason why we have to widen that is because of the volume of traffic that is flowing. So, if you’re coming from the East Bank, it’s one of the main access points.”
“Then when the Ogle to Eccles Four-Lane Road is complete, you’ll be able to connect and come all the way to the East Bank without having to turn because you’ll meet the Eccles roundabout and then go to the main road. The [new] Demerara Harbour Bridge is landing at Nandy Park. Following that, there are a number of connecting roads that will be done. And one of where it will flow into will be the Eccles Industrial Road,” Croal had stated back in September.
In April 2022, the $2.3 billion four-lane Eccles-to-Mandela Highway was opened, thus providing an alternate route to bring relief from the heavy traffic on the EBD during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
The project, which was executed by the Housing Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), represents the construction of the country’s first fully concreted four-lane highway, with dual carriageways of two lanes each and joint reinforced concrete pavement.
Late 2023, the Eccles to Diamond four-lane road was commissioned and named the Heroes Highway, in honour of the five Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers who died days before in a horrific helicopter crash.
This four-lane road project is a result of efforts by the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government to ease traffic congestion on the East Bank, which not only leads to the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) – but also fields traffic coming from West Demerara.