Funding sought for pedestrian overpasses on ECD

…in Public Infrastructure Ministry’s 2019 budget proposal

The Public Infrastructure Ministry has made provisions in its 2019 budget proposal for the construction of two pedestrian overpasses on the East Coast of Demerara, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
This is according to the Ministry’s Technical Services Manager, Nigel Erskine, who told Guyana Times that the two proposed overpasses would be at Montrose and Mon Repos.
The first pedestrian overpass is expected to be constructed next year in proximity to Apex Education – a private school. That area is usually busy and prone to traffic congestion.
The other overpass will be constructed in 2020 near the Mon Repos Market, another busy and congested area on the East Coast.
According to Erskine, upon approval of its budget proposal, the Ministry will move ahead with tendering for the design after which it will move onto the construction process. The Ministry’s Technical Services Manager said that it was expected that

the first overpass would be completed by the end of 2019.
This project comes on the heels of the completion of the country’s first set of overpasses. Five pedestrian overpasses were built along the East Bank corridor at Houston, Eccles, Peters Hall, Providence and Diamond. Construction of those pedestrian overpasses commenced mid last year and were mostly completed by December 2017. Elevator lifts were subsequently installed a few months backs to cater for disabled persons and the elderly.
The aim of the pedestrian overpasses was not only to reduce road carnage and enhance public safety, but to also eliminate traffic congestion along the East Bank Road, which is said to be the busiest in the country.
The contract for the overpasses at Houston, Eccles and Peters Hall were awarded to B & J Civil Works for the sum of US$1,034,326. Meanwhile, there were separate contracts for the Providence and Diamond overpasses which were both awarded to S Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services to the tune of US$364,247 and US$364,727 respectively.
Trinidadian supervision firm – RM Engineering Limited – was recruited to oversee the construction of the overpasses.