…rain affecting work
With more than expected rainfall during this May-June rainy season, works on the West Coast Demerara (WCD) highway expansion project is being affected. However, reports are that the project is approximately 60 per cent complete.
Road expansion work at the Vreed-en-Hoop junction
“The work, I would say, is about 60-65 per cent finished, but this rain affecting this work because when we excavate to widen the road and do back the culvert, the place get swampy and sometime flood out so some time we got to pump out water to do work and that keeping we back,” a source informed.
The US$42 million (G$8.4 billion) project was commissioned in 2015, with an expected completion date of the latter part of 2018. However, if the prevailing weather continues, the possibility of not meeting the deadline exists. Works are being carried out by BK Engineering and a Jamaican engineering company, Surrey Paving and Aggregate.
The works entail the improvement of approximately 30.7 kilometres of the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie just about one mile east of Parika. The project is funded by a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
When completed, the road is expected to increase the efficiency and safety of road transportation along the West Coast of Demerara from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo. Ongoing works include the rehabilitation of pavements, road widening and provision of additional highway lights, and replacement of the Groenveldt Bridge.
According to the source, the replacement Groenveldt Bridge is approximately 40 per cent complete and works are ongoing to have it completed within two months. “If this rain continue like this, then we have trouble to finish this work,” the source cautioned.
The source added that commuters were complaining of traffic congestion especially at the Vreed-en-Hoop junction area where the roads are being widened. “We does have plenty traffic at the (Vreed-en-Hoop) junction especially during rush hour and people does be complaining, but we can’t do nothing; we got to do we work too,” he explained.
Commuters would be stuck in traffic for 45 minutes to an hour during the peak period of 07:00h to 09:00h almost every morning. Hire car drivers are also complaining of being stuck in traffic often resulting in the loss of passengers which means less daily income.
“When we have to sit down in traffic for like an hour every trip that we make in the morning, then that don’t make any sense, them people (contractor) need to do this road in the night when road clear because we suffering,” hire car driver Devon Boucher said.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, announced more major road works for the West Coast Demerara-East Bank Essequibo area. These works will be carried out at Greenwich Park Main Road (Lot Four); Old Road De Kinderen (Lot Five); Fisher Dam Zeelugt and the Boerasirie Housing Scheme Road (Lot Seven).
