Govt tenders for $4.6B in hinterland road contracts

The Government, through the Public Works Ministry, has tendered for over $4.6 billion worth of hinterland road contracts spanning several regions, as well as farm to access roads in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
In an invitation for sealed bids, the Ministry requested contractors tender for hinterland roads in Regions One (Barima-Waini); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Among the contracts that are being tendered in Region One are the rehabilitation and construction of phase one of the Kwebanna to Kumaka road, which is pegged to cost $211.1 million; the rehabilitation and construction of internal roads in Mabaruma ($214.8 million) and the rehabilitation of internal roads in Matthews Ridge ($232.3 million).

Meanwhile, in Region Seven the rehabilitation of phase one of the Bartica Potaro Road will cost $293.5 million; phase two of the rehabilitation of the Dagg Point Main Access Road will cost $160.2 million and phase two of the rehabilitation of the Roxanne Road in Byderabo will cost $108.2 million.
In Region Eight, the roads slated for construction and rehabilitation include the Mahdia Main Access Road ($139.5 million); the rehabilitation and realignment of the Tiger Hill Road ($61.4 million) and the Konawaruk Road ($101.6 million). Region Eight roads in Mahdia were the subject of controversy back in April, when the Government was forced to terminate two contracts that were behind schedule.
For Region Nine, the roads that will see works being done include roads in South and Deep South ($249.5 million); internal roads in Lethem (Cenotaph Boulevard), which will cost $179.5 million and rehabilitation of village roads in North Rupununi (Aranaputa Valley Village and farm roads), pegged at $122.2 million.
Tenders for farm to access roads have also been issued for the construction of the Parika to Goshen alignment in Region Three, between Parika and Bonasika, which are being done in Lots One and Two. Both lots come up to $250 million each. Bids, according to the Ministry, will be opened on October 10.
In 2023, the Government of Guyana allocated $136.1 billion in the National Budget to upgrade or create new road and bridge networks across the country. This was a notable hike from the $67.9 billion spent in 2022 to improve infrastructure and connectivity in the country.
The Public Works Ministry also received a $33.3 billion supplementary provision from the National Assembly in August. Subsequently, plans were announced to construct hundreds of new roads with the money in the various regions, including 300 roads along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and $1 billion worth of infrastructure work in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
Making this announcement was Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, when questioned on the $33.3 billion that was requested for and subsequently granted to, his Ministry. Of that amount, $25 billion is earmarked to go towards constructing and rehabilitating community roads.
Edghill informed the National Assembly how many of these roads would be built and in which regions, even answering questions that were raised by Opposition Members of Parliament about the status of road works in specific regions.
“What we’re asking this additional money for, is to do an additional 300 roads on the East Coast of Demerara. An additional 100 roads on the East Bank of Demerara. To make another 300 roads in Region Six,” Edghill had said.
“To put in another intervention of another $1 billion worth of capital works in Region Two… and to do that $1.6 billion worth of work…,” Edghill said.
The Minister had also provided a comprehensive comparison of Government’s road building efforts in the year 2020 to date. He had said that this has increased from just over 150 roads, to last year when over 2000 roads were built.
“I can indicate to you that in 2020, we did 151 roads. In 2021 we did 198 roads. In 2022 we did 2251 roads. For 2023, where we are right now, we have 378 contracts that are under execution. And we have a number of other roads at the procurement stage,” the Public Works Minister had said. (G3)