New roads being designed for heavier trucks – Govt

…as warns against damaging community roads

The Guyana Government is now designing new road networks to accommodate increased tonnage of weight but persons are nonetheless being cautioned about damaging existing roads that cannot facilitate heavy-duty vehicles.
In October last year, it was announced that Cabinet has approved a weight restriction of 15 tonnes per axle to traverse on the roads and bridges across the country.
“The Government recently would have indicated that we’re moving from 11 tonnes to 15 tonnes per axle. And our roads are currently being designed to withstand 15 tonnes per axle,” Head of the Works Services Group (WSG) at the Public Works Ministry, Ron Rahaman, noted during a briefing on Thursday.
But even as the increased weight limit allows for much larger vehicles to be accommodate on the roadways, Rahaman pointed out that there are some existing community roads that were not built to facilitate 15 tonnes.
To this end, he is urging persons to use smaller vehicles such as canter to traverse these roadways in the communities in order to protect the integrity of the infrastructure and prevent damages.
In fact, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said some communities are already adjusting transportation to meet road restrictions. He pointed to Black Bush Polder in Region Six, where large-axle trucks can only traverse up to a point due to the narrowness of the roads hence persons use canters to transport whatever materials or goods they have to the intended destination. Nevertheless, the Ministry is strengthening measures to regulate heavy-duty trucks and prevent overloaded vehicles from damaging roads and bridges.
Edghill disclosed that weigh-in-motion scales have been deployed, with testing being conducted at different locations to monitor truck weights. He noted that the Ministry is also engaging operators of sand pits and loam pits, as well as quarry operators on measures to be undertaken.

“We have weigh-in-motion scales all the way to the quarries, where aggregates are. We’ll map with all of the owners of sand pits and loam pits to deal with ensuring that the trucks leave the pit with the required weight and not overweight,” Edghill explained.
According to the Public Works Minister, these measures are necessary to prevent heavy vehicles from placing excessive pressure on the road network, damaging bridges and other infrastructure.
While monitoring is already underway, the public works Minister noted that the relevant regulations are still required to facilitate enforcement measures, including the imposition of charges and the seizure of overloaded vehicles.
The ongoing road improvement works and efforts to control heavy-duty traffic form part of the Government’s broader push to strengthen transport infrastructure, improve road safety and protect public investments.
In fact, it was pointed out that damage to community roads and streets was one of the main driving factors for the establishment of the designated truck parking lots along the coastal regions.
Currently, truck parking facilities are being constructed at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and at Hermitage, Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) – both in Region Three.
Already, a $500 million Truck Parking and Auto Zone, spanning approximately 14.1 acres, was developed at Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and will be the first to come on stream once the operational arrangements are finalised. This facility will accommodate at least 300 trucks. It will also address concerns raised by residents about automotive activities, including mechanic shops and spray painting.
A second truck parking lot in Region Four is also under construction at Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and is slated for completion in November 2026. There is also another facility being developed at Palmyra, Region Six.
Moreover, planned future works will see at least one other truck parking and automotive service zone on the Corentyne in the vicinity of the Number 75-76 Villages, as well as another in Region Four along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
Earlier this month, Housing Minister Collin Croal indicated that a management committee will be established to oversee the operations of these dedicated heavy-duty truck parking spaces being built across the coastal regions.
He also indicated that the proposed fee structure and operational arrangements will be announced in the coming weeks.
According to Croal, the management structure will ensure the facilities are properly maintained, secured and efficiently operated, while providing a designated space for truck operators and other commercial vehicle owners to park, service and undertake routine maintenance of their vehicles.
The Minister noted that the operational framework will include security arrangements, maintenance provisions and a fee structure to support the long-term sustainability of the facilities. The initiative is also expected to create employment opportunities for persons involved in their daily management and upkeep.
These facilities form part of the Government’s wider efforts to improve infrastructure and provide a designated secure space for commercial vehicle operators thus improving traffic management and reducing congestion in residential communities, as well as noise nuisance and health concerns raised by citizens.