Regions 8 & 9 road link to alleviate high transportation cost when completed

– contracts signed for road maintenance projects in several villages

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill recently stated that the construction of a hinterland road link that connects Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) is underway and when completed will alleviate the high cost of transportation.
The Minister made this announcement during a road maintenance contract signing in Kato, Region Eight.
“Apart from the connectivity among the villages, your Government is continuing to ensure the connection between Regions 9 and Region 8.” He added that once the road link between the two regions is completed, it will alleviate transportation woes, thus creating social and economic benefits.

“Once trucks can traverse the road, the cost of supplies, building materials, and food “will go down” since it will cut the cost of flying materials in and out of the regions,” the Minister stated.
“So that those of you who want to get to Region 9 and then get to Brazil and make your vacation…you must be able to get that connectivity. And if when we get that road completed and trucks can come through for us to buy and get down from all the way from Monkey Mountain. If trucks can come through that road, the cost of supplies, building materials, food, everything will go down because you don’t have to fly it in. It will be able to come through by the way of trucks. So, that’s what we’re working on.”
The 72-mile hinterland road link starts at Meritizero North, Rupununi in Region Nine, and will connect Region Eight at Monkey Mountain.
The construction of the road link which began more than 10 years ago will cost $600 million. But after the APNU/AFC took office, that project was allegedly halted.
Meanwhile, during the Minister’s visit, a number of contracts, totalling $290 million to improve transportation networks in Region Eight were signed. The road maintenance project will benefit some 15,000 residents from 28 villages in the region.
Under the agreements signed, a total of 917 kilometres of road maintenance, including filling of laterite, and repairs to 31 timber bridges will be completed over a six-month period.
Edghill reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting the development of local village economies through the creation of job opportunities. Under the contracts signed, local contractors and workers from Region 8 are expected to execute all works outlined.
“Our development agenda is not just to develop Georgetown and make it bright and put up lights and nice fancy buildings. So, when you come to town you look and say Georgetown looking nice. Our development agenda is that you must be in Kato or in Itabac or in Kanapang or in Tuschen or wherever you must be able to look at your community and say my community looking nice as well,” he said.
Contracts were signed by the Monkey Mountain, Bamboo Creek, Paramakatoi, and Kato Village Councils. Red Creek, Karisparu, Taruka, Yawong, Maiwak CDC, Arasawa, along with 19 other villages also signed contracts.
Lauding the Government’s initiative, Toshao Candace Evans of Karisparu said she is grateful for the upgrade, adding that her community will enjoy easier access to other communities once the project is completed.
“Currently our airstrip is shut down and we don’t have any access to Mahdia or elsewhere so I am very grateful for this contract because once we fix the road, we will get access to Paramakatoi and people would be able to buy their ration from there and also for the patients we would transport them to Paramakatoi from Karisparu at this moment,” she said.