Deadline for completion of Schoonord-to-Crane Highway now set for “mid-year” – Croal

… says additional workforce brought in to speed up construction

The completion of the highly-anticipated multi-billion-dollar four-lane highway project from Schoonord to Crane in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) has now been shifted to “mid-year,” according to Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal.
“[We’re expecting the highway to be completed] by middle of this year; in fact, even before… For sure, it will finish at least by May month-end,” the minister told the Guyana Times on Sunday.

In September 2022, some $11.8 billion in contracts were signed for the construction of the Schoonord-to-Crane four-lane highway – a project that is part of a much larger initiative to establish a secondary road link to Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
The works included two roundabouts, 11 reinforced concrete box culverts, 36 pre-stressed bridges, and road signage and markings. The project was awarded to eight contractors – VR Construction Inc., Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc., L’Heureuse Construction and Services Inc., GuyAmerica Construction Inc., AJM Enterprise, Vals Construction, Puran Bros Disposal Inc., and JS Guyana Inc.
All contractors were required to finish their respective projects by October 25, 2023. However, after massive delays, they were given extensions.
Currently, the entire project is about 70 per cent completed. In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Croal explained that work in most of the lots has progressed well except one that is behind schedule.
He had noted that one of the lots has already been completed while the completion rate in most of the lots ranges between 80 to 90 per cent.
“We have one lot that is a little behind and we have engaged the contractor. That contractor has also brought others on board to have it completed by May month-end… So, it’s just that one lot that is behind and the completion of the roundabout [at the Crane end of the highway],” Croal indicated to this newspaper.

Only back in March, President Dr. Irfaan Ali conducted a site visit to check on the progress of the massive road project and ordered that liquidated damages be sought from the contractors over the delayed works.
“That’s the contractor’s obligation [for extensions] …Y’all gotta make sure you charge for liquidated damages. There is no excuse. So, from day one as soon as [the contract] expires, I want liquidated damages,” the President had informed the technical team from the Housing Ministry that is overseeing the project.
Asked whether such damages were sought from the constructors, the Housing Minister was unable to say when contacted on Sunday.
This four-lane highway from Schoonord to Crane will be a modern road with features that will allow for easy and free flow of traffic at both ends.
This corridor is one of the major transformative projects being undertaken in Region Three and will be connected, at Schoonord, to the new bridge across the Demerara River that is also currently under construction. With the highway to be eventually extended to Parika, it will open up new lands for housing and commercial developments in the region as well.
In Budget 2024, the Government earmarked $9 billion to advance works on the Schoonord-to-Crane highway.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Government in recent months has been clamping down on contractors over delays in executing public projects.
Earlier this month, President Ali had ordered that penalties such as liquidated damages outlined in several government contracts be enforced for companies that continue to default on their contractual obligations.
Liquidated damages refer to a provision allowing for the payment of a specified sum in the case of a breach of contract. In this case, the President says the government will go after those defaulting contractors that have gone past their project deadlines and the justifiable extensions.
Consequently, units are now being established at the various ministries and state agencies to assess the performance of contractors carrying out government projects. Additionally, a Contract Compliance Unit has been established at the Attorney General’s Chambers to support the work of those units.
President Ali had noted that all project managers and senior engineers under this unit will be properly qualified.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, has disclosed that scholarships will be offered to at least 50 officers in these units to better equip them with monitoring and evaluating capabilities.
Additionally, the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) administration has been asked to offer courses in the areas of contract management, contract monitoring and contract evaluation. These programmes will come from the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).
“Fifty current officers within the government structure will be offered scholarships – 50 one time. And they would be spread across the sectors. In almost every sector, we will select persons including lawyers from the Legal Affairs Ministry… All of that is to enhance the government’s ability and the government’s capacity to monitor, evaluate and enforce these contracts for the betterment of the people of Guyana,” the AG had noted.
Nandlall also assured that there will be no additional burden on the treasury to undertake these efforts.