EBB Main Access Road among projects to benefit from US$156M World Bank loan

– funding to improve road infrastructure, safety in Guyana

The World Bank has approved some US$156 million to support the rehabilitation road infrastructure across Guyana, focusing on resilience, as well as prioritising road safety and inclusivity.
Under the US$156 million Integrated Transport Corridors Project, focus will be placed on enhancing Guyana’s transport network in selected regions, and ensuring it is better equipped to withstand natural hazards, and provide safer, more reliable mobility for people.

Among the areas set to benefit from this World Bank funding is the East Bank Berbice (EBB) Main Access Road in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
This was disclosed by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who visited the area on Friday.
During his visit, Edghill inspected ongoing works at the Mara section of the EBB only access road, which stretches for some 20 miles. He noted that four contracts were awarded for these road upgrades at Mara, each covering 750 metres, or a half of a mile.
Two of these projects have been completed, while work continues on the remaining sections.
With the overall expenditure on these projects nearing $400 million, the Public Works Minister explained that one segment, spanning 750 metres has been prepared for paving, while another 1.5 kilometres (km) is currently being developed. Additionally, another km of road is being levelled in preparation for paving.
According to Edghill, the World Bank funding will allow the entire EBB access road to be rehabilitated into a resilient infrastructure that will last for at least 25 years.
“Which means that the sections that were done, we will just have to put in pavements, road safety signs and improving the road shoulders. The other sections will be totally rehabilitated,” he said.
The funding from the World Bank is expected to be available in the next two weeks, and it is expected that the EBB Road Project should be completed before the end of this year.
“Some of my technical people are joining with others in Trinidad, they have a training workshop because some of these international institutions, when they are providing financing, they want to ensure that the technical people have the capacity and everything,” Minister Edghill pointed out.
The Public Works Minister subsequently explained to Guyana Times that while the rehabilitation of the EBB Road is one of main projects to be funded by this World Bank programme, Government is currently finalising other initiatives that will also benefit.
“That is being programmed and finalised. The World Bank had a mission down here. We’ve had several visits [and] they looked at all of the things that we’re proposing. Final designs and naming of projects are to be done…and that is going to be finalised soon,” Edghill indicated to this newspaper on Friday.
The World Bank had announced via a statement on Thursday, that its Board of Executive Directors approved the US$156 million project to support Guyana in upgrading and rehabilitating the country’s road infrastructure.
The financial institution recognised that Guyana’s road infrastructure faces several challenges, particularly in the coastal regions, where roads are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
It noted that over 60 per cent of the road network consists of smaller roads, many of which sit on low-lying coastal plains, making them highly exposed to the impacts of rising sea levels, increased rainfall intensity, and more frequent extreme weather events like storms and flooding.
It said the most recent flooding event in 2021 caused over $100 million in damage to the agriculture and transport sectors.
According to the bank, poor road conditions hinder access to essential services like healthcare and education, disrupt economic activities, and isolate communities.
“The project will focus on upgrading and rehabilitating key road corridors in selected regions of Guyana, with a particular emphasis on improving resilience to natural hazards. It will implement critical infrastructure improvements such as enhancing drainage systems, stabilising slopes, and raising embankments to prevent erosion to safeguard vital transport links that support agriculture, tourism, trade, and access to essential services like healthcare and education,” the missive detailed.

Road safety
The World Bank went on to express concerns over the road safety situation in Guyana, citing a road mortality rate of 15 deaths per 100,000 population. As a result, the US$156 million Integrated Transport Corridors Project will also prioritise road safety and inclusivity.

The World Bank added, “This includes the safety assessment of the entire primary road network and road safety audits for selected roads, followed by the installation of road safety engineering solutions like crash barriers and traffic calming measures, and the creation of dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport, such as pedestrians and cyclists.”
It further stated that special attention will also be given to high-risk locations like schools, hospitals, and markets.
In addition, mobility plans, tailored to the needs of women and other vulnerable groups, will feature in the project as well as road asset management systems; creating safer transportation options.
“Guyana’s rapid economic expansion places increasing pressure on infrastructure, while the growing risks from natural hazards, such as flooding and storms, further challenge the country’s systems. This project will help Guyana’s road network keep pace with its growth by making it safer and more resilient,” World Bank Group Resident Representative for Guyana, Diletta Doretti, said.
The project is funded through the World Bank’s International Development Association, the arm of the World Bank that helps the world’s low-income countries.

The World Bank added, “This includes the safety assessment of the entire primary road network and road safety audits for selected roads, followed by the installation of road safety engineering solutions like crash barriers and traffic calming measures, and the creation of dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport, such as pedestrians and cyclists.”
It further stated that special attention will also be given to high-risk locations like schools, hospitals, and markets.
In addition, mobility plans, tailored to the needs of women and other vulnerable groups, will feature in the project as well as road asset management systems; creating safer transportation options.
“Guyana’s rapid economic expansion places increasing pressure on infrastructure, while the growing risks from natural hazards, such as flooding and storms, further challenge the country’s systems. This project will help Guyana’s road network keep pace with its growth by making it safer and more resilient,” World Bank Group Resident Representative for Guyana, Diletta Doretti, said.
The project is funded through the World Bank’s International Development Association, the arm of the World Bank that helps the world’s low-income countries.