Rehabilitation works on Aishalton main access road 90% complete

Almost a week after the main access road from Lethem to Aishalton, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), was cut off, rehabilitation works have commenced and is reportedly 90 per cent completed.

Public Relations Officer of the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Krest Cummings told Guyana Times on Thursday that the rehabilitation works are being done by JR Ranch Construction Company and the Ministry’s engineer is on site monitoring same.
The road is now accessible, taking the burden off road users who were severely affected.
That access road was broken last week as a result of the continuous heavy rains resulting in the cut off of all vehicles travelling from Lethem to Aishalton, as well as seven other surrounding villages.

The alternative route requires an additional 60 miles of driving. As a result of this destruction, fuel supply to the communities had decreased. Toshao of Aishalton, Michael Thomas had told this publication that a particular location some 12 miles from his village is also in a deplorable state and in dire need of emergency repairs.
Toshao Thomas had stated that the said location had been washing away over the last two years during the rainy season, but this time around, the damage was greater. According to the Toshao, the hole in the road is two metres deep and is now wider. Additionally, the culverts have broken in half.
He explained that in 2017, the village received assistance from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to fix the road, and last year, help was provided by the Brazilian Army which was in Guyana to drill wells in the Rupununi.

Meanwhile, the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Natural Resources said they were working assiduously to assess and evaluate the damage caused by the flash flood in the area. This includes the recent cut off of the Lethem to Aishalton main access road.
The Ministry, in a statement last week, asked residents of Aishalton to remain patient as its regional engineers are on the ground and are currently in consultations with the Regional Executive Officer on the way forward for a timely resolution to the unforeseen event that occurred on Aishalton’s main access road.
“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure along with the Ministry of Natural Resources understand the importance of this access road to the livelihood of the residents in and around Aishalton and jointly, the Ministries will ensure that the road will become passable in a short while. We deeply regret any inconveniences caused by this unforeseen event,” the statement added.