US$192M ECD road upgrades will not hamper businesses – Edghill

…reassures business owners on safety, access points

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, along with representatives from the Public Works Ministry, BESTON Consulting, and China Railway First Group Company Limited, recently met with business owners, farmers, and institutional representatives to discuss the placement of median openings for the Railway Embankment’s Four-Lane Upgrade Project.
The meeting acted as a forum for stakeholders to be sensitised on the project and raise concerns about the US$192 million design build project.
During the meeting, Edghill reassured stakeholders that the median access points were strategically planned with safety as the top priority. He was at the time responding to concerns raised by business owners about negative impact the installation of medians could have their businesses.
“The installation of medians has consistently been met with comments like you’re gonna kill my business. We had similar situations when I came in office, when we were doing Mandela… The reality is the median is in place; the service stations are still getting their fuel with the same gas tankers… everybody’s businesses are growing,” he assured.
The East Coast Demerara (ECD) Road Expansion Project is a major infrastructural initiative aimed at improving traffic flow and accommodating the region’s rapid development. As part of this project, the Railway Embankment Road will be expanded to four lanes, running from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau. Additionally, the existing ECD Road will be widened to four lanes between Orange Nassau and Mahaica, while the two-lane ECD Road between Belfield and Orange Nassau will undergo rehabilitation.
To enhance connectivity and efficiency, the project also includes the construction of 42 culverts and 76 bridges. Among these new structures is a bridge across the Hope Canal at the Railway Embankment section, which will further improve access and traffic management in the area.

During the meeting, stakeholders interested in proposing alternative solutions were invited to engage with project consultants and contractors on-site within a week. However, Edghill clarified that while the project team remains open to discussions and feedback, Edghill emphasised that not every request for adjustments could be accommodated.

“It is serious consideration as well as best practices what happens internationally and then one of the things that we don’t talk about a lot in Guyana when we make these request is safety, security and movement of emergency vehicles… I am saying one week, so who would like to engage the consultants, clients representative and contractor on site to show what is your solution. Your solution might not necessarily be accepted but at least we have an understanding of what you’re saying, it must be costed and looked at the overall design and geometric improvements of what we’re seeking to do and so on,” the Minister explained.
The ECD Railway Embankment Project is being financed under the Framework Concessional Loan Agreement from the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China. This initiative is designed to reduce traffic congestion and support the anticipated industrial expansion in Enmore.
As Guyana’s economy continues to expand rapidly, the Government is making significant investments in infrastructure to support this growth. The ECD region is witnessing major local, regional, and international investments, both from the public and private sectors. The road expansion project is expected to enhance connectivity, improve business operations, and facilitate the movement of goods and services, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and modern transportation network.