Works moving apace on new Eccles-to-Diamond 4-lane road – Min Croal

Housing Minister Collin Croal on Sunday reported that works on the alternative Eccles to Diamond four-lane road along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) is progressing well.
Contracts to the tune of $13.3 billion were awarded to 12 contractors last December to construct a four-lane road that will run from the Eccles Dumpsite Road all the way to Great Diamond, connecting to the already completed Eccles to Mandela Avenue Highway.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the Minister indicated that the works at the 12 lots are at various stages but are moving apace.
“We’re pushing ahead. All the lots have finished the land clearing and most of them now are at the sand-filling and compaction stage,” the Housing Minister stated.
This new alternative road project had encountered a challenge at the lot covering the boundary between the Mocha-Herstelling section, where there were about 35 residential buildings. The Housing Ministry has since engaged those persons to be relocated.
Already, the Ministry has wrapped up the process with over 30 homeowners and the process is ongoing “smoothly” with four others. They are being relocated nearby to the new housing schemes at Herstelling and Farm, along the East Bank corridor.
Croal indicated that the contractor at that lot has already commenced preliminary works in other areas. He said once those persons are relocated, then works will be done at that section.

“That [relocation section] is just a portion of the four-lane road. So, that contractor in that lot – there are other works they are embarking on and they have started.”
According to Minister Croal, the works are on schedule and it is anticipated that the project will be completed ahead of its one-year deadline with Lot 1 – which starts at Eccles Dumpsite Road, where a roundabout is being built to connect to the Eccles to Mandela Avenue Road – being the first to be finished.
But even as the Government is working to expand the road network, especially along the East Bank corridor which leads to the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport – and is a major land connection between Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara Mahaica), persons continue to be reckless on the roadways.
Only Saturday night, a vehicle speeding along the Eccles-Mandela Highway missed the turn on the Eccles Dumpsite Road and ran over the trench, ending up almost on the other side of the road.
Minister Croal told this newspaper that the Police have already been informed that the driver will have to repair the protective barrier that was damaged by the car. He added that additional lighting will be installed along the road to prevent a reoccurrence of such incidents.
At the commissioning of the Mandela to Eccles Highway in April, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced several modern security features including cameras to detect speeding and other traffic offences in order to maintain law and order on the roadway.
However, one of the most striking features of the new highway is its modern security system, which President Ali explained is aimed at preventing the loss of lives along the new road.
This new security system, which is currently installed at Houston, Greater Georgetown, is able to track vehicles and drivers on the highway thus removing the need for Police officers on the road using the “speed guns”.
There will be a monthly print out of tickets against those delinquent road users and the document will be sent to their addresses. Those persons will then be required to clear their tickets with the GRA and failure to do so would result in the non-renewal of their registration and road licence.
According to Minister Croal, preparatory works are being undertaken to install the camera along the highway.
Meanwhile, President Ali had related that the Government will soon be making the necessary adjustments to the relevant traffic laws to cater to the use of this system as well as putting in place new and stricter penalties for errant drivers.
In fact, only Saturday, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall published draft amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, as well as the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill. These proposed changes were approved by the Cabinet on Thursday with a view to toughening up on the penalties that drunk drivers – and the bars that serve them – face.