Carifesta Ave Road upgrade: Cleanup, stronger safety measures directed to fast-track project

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has ordered the contractors working on the road expansion project along Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, to tidy up the construction area, put in place better safety measures for road users and get the necessary permission that is needed to advance the works.
The Minister gave these directives on Friday afternoon during a site visit to inspect the progress of the major road project in Georgetown. “By the end of the month [or] early February, I expect to see significant improvements. There’ll be lots of international activities that will be held in Guyana, and this carriageway has to look different. We can’t just leave it with construction. Bring it up to the levels that we have to get, and let’s get on with it…day and night,” Edghill stated.
This major infrastructure upgrade will see the transformation of Carifesta Avenue, between Vlissengen Road and Camp Street, into a four-lane corridor. While the contractors have practically completed the first section that they were required to, the scope of works has been extended to include a holding area for the water into the Kitty Pump Station. Reminding that this is a main carriageway in the capital city, the Public Works Minister noted that he instructed the contractors to clear up the construction area as well as install adequate lighting for road users.

“They have to clear the mud off of the road shoulders to ensure that the lanes remain safe, because with the earthworks, a lot of it is on the carriageway. We have to get that clean… So, I’ve asked that the carriageway be cleaned and that the lighting here be immediately improved, because while driving here at night, it’s difficult. And while we are improving and bringing benefits to our citizens, we must minimise inconvenience and ensure that safety is number one.”
“So, the contractors have to put in better lights from [Friday night]. They’re using the barrels instead of cones and the jersey barriers, but we need to have flashing lights so people can know they’re in a construction zone. And the Ministry has been instructed to make sure all the lights along the corridor are working so that people are able to see better in the area,” he stressed. According to Edghill, the project had encountered some issues regarding the removal and relocation of utility cables – most of which have been resolved.
The only delay right now, the Minister explained, is permission from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to advance works. “[They have to get] NDIA’s permission to proceed forward with a design that is approved by them to ensure that the water that needs to be drained and get to the pump station is placed in a manner that is adequate to allow for the removal of the water. This has been a process that has been taking too long. And I’ve asked that the head of the programme, as well as the project engineer, engage NDIA. We have to tie this up and get this done fast. We must get out of this area and get this road completed,” he added.
While admitting that there have been delays in the project, Minister Edghill emphasised that this should not continue. “We don’t want to have more delays, so we want to be able to get this done… and I guess all the people who traverse here would appreciate that while the project has been delayed, the contractors have been working day and night, and sometimes even trying to get the water off after rainy periods, and moving the cofferdam to ensure drainage, then restoring it and starting pumping has been a challenge. But we want to get out of this as fast as possible,” the public works Minister declared. The expansion and rehabilitation works along Carifesta Avenue were initially slated for completion this month.
The project is being executed by Quality Deliverer and Colin Talbot Construction Services and is part of the Guyana Government’s broader effort to improve traffic flow and safety across Georgetown.