Linden to Lethem Road Project: Negotiations ongoing for Mabura Hill to Kurupukari section – Edghill

As work on the first section of the Linden to Lethem Road Project nears completion, the Guyana Government is already moving towards the next phase, with discussions currently underway to advance the Mabura Hill to Kurupukari section.
This was revealed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill during the Regional Toshaos’ Meeting held in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Friday.
According to Edghill, talks have already commenced on the next phase of the road project, which extends 30 kilometres (km) from Mabura Hill towards Kurupukari.
“We are now negotiating to continue from Mabura Hill towards Kurupukari. The first 30 kilometres are being discussed right now, and we are continuing that,” the Minister told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Currently, work is ongoing on Phase One of this major hinterland transport corridor, with some 121 km of asphalt road being built from Linden to Mabura Hill in Region 10. These works are being carried out by the Brazilian-based contractor, Álya Construtora, a company specialising in civil works, heavy infrastructure projects, and road development in complex environments.
Contacted on Saturday to clarify whether the negotiations for the new phase are with the same Brazilian contractor or a new company, the Public Works Minister opted not to divulge this. He indicated to the Guyana Times that once the negotiations are finalised, the details will be made public.

Kurupukari Bridge
Nevertheless, Edghill also announced that preparations are advancing for the construction of the Kurupukari Bridge. He said 48 bridges have already been completed along the Linden to Lethem corridor, while the proposed Kurupukari Bridge is expected to span between 700 and 800 metres.
“This is the next big project that we are going with,” the Minister added.
Previously, there were talks of using sections of the now-decommissioned Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) to connect the Kurupukari crossing. However, subsequent studies have found that this was not feasible. Taking into consideration the heavy rapids, rocks, and the need to accommodate extra-long grain trucks and trailers from neighbouring Brazil, the Government has since decided that a new high-span fixed concrete bridge will have to be constructed at Kurupukari.
Bridging the Kurupukari crossing is a major component of the highly anticipated Linden-to-Lethem road project.

Phase One
Back in April, it was reported that the 121-km Phase One section was 86 per cent completed, with 100 km of the new road already fully paved with asphalt.
Minister Edghill told this newspaper on Saturday that the Government expects the contractor to wrap up work by the August 2026 deadline.
“There has been no extension of time to the contractor for the completion of the 121-km Linden to Mabura Hill Road… My instructions are for them to get to 100 per cent completion,” the Public Works Minister related on Saturday.
The first phase from Linden to Mabura Hill is being done at a cost of US$190 million and is funded through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant of £50 million (US$66 million) from the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously hinted at tapping into the £3 billion available under the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) to possibly fund the remaining section of the all-weather road upgrade.
In fact, back in January, former British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller had revealed that the Guyanese Government was already in discussions with a number of British companies on this critical road project.
“It’s very exciting. So, we’ve got a couple of [UK] businesses that are in discussions with the Government at the moment in terms of doing some of the further sections [on the Linden to Lethem Road Project],” Miller told the Guyana Times in January prior to her departure after ending a four-year tenure in Georgetown.
She added that “the utility and the benefits from that road section that we are constructing [would] only really materialise when it becomes a full road corridor, all the way from Brazil to the Atlantic coast. So, we’ve been very much encouraging that the whole trade corridor is completed. I know there are other export finance agencies also working with the Government. So, we’re in discussions at the moment, and I look forward to the day when I can drive from Georgetown to Lethem smoothly with a bridge over the Kurupukari River in the Essequibo River. So yeah, there are lots of discussions going on at the moment.”
Currently, this road network is being utilised by an estimated 50,000 travellers who transport goods from the coast to the inland regions of Guyana and even into neighbouring Brazil.
The previous condition of this road posed significant challenges for commuters and transport operators. Heavily laden lorries frequently toppled off the roadway, and deteriorated bridges required manual alignment of boards for crossings, often with unsafe outcomes.
However, when completed as an all-weather road, this crucial piece of infrastructure will significantly improve connectivity, reduce travel time, and open up new commercial and trade opportunities, especially between Guyana and Brazil.