The plans of the Public Infrastructure Ministry to construct a roundabout at the Timehri junction has been halted to facilitate the removal of utility poles and wires.
This was on Wednesday related by the Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Annette Ferguson.
Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry Annette Ferguson
“The one at the (Cheddi Jagan International) Airport, we had some issues with utility poles, GTT to be specific, so that roundabout too is still in the pipeline,” she disclosed.
She nevertheless assured that preliminary works on the structure have begun, which includes the removal of those poles. “We will see the commencement of the civil component I guess before the end of the year,” Ferguson stated.
The contract for the project was awarded to Gaico Construction earlier in the year at the sum of some $74 million.
Meanwhile, she explained that “The one at Sheriff/Mandela you know we have that expansion project so the one will be one Sheriff/Mandela and the other one will be just as you turn off, or when you leave the Airport. The Sheriff/Mandela project… we have commenced the laying of the pipes on both sides of Sherriff Street so when the project gets into its implementation stage we would see the formation of the roundabout there”.
Works reportedly begun on the Timehri roundabout back in June of this year, while Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson commissioned the $78.9 million Kitty roundabout, which was constructed by S Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services.
Minister Patterson had announced plans to construct two roundabouts, with the inclusion of the Timehri structure. The other is expected to be erected on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.
The structures are being constructed with the hope of easing traffic congestion and wastage of time at peak locations.
“During the course of this year and next year, there will be two additional roundabouts in two equally important areas,” Patterson stated at the opening of the Kitty roundabout.
The Mandela Avenue roundabout will be erected during Government’s $6.4 billion road upgrade project.
When completed, Sheriff Street will remain a two-lane road while Mandela will become a four-lane thoroughfare. The upgraded roads will be outfitted with new features including cycle lanes, separate sidewalks and smart traffic signals which will use above ground vehicle detectors.
Additionally, two culverts at the junctions of David Street with the Cummings Canal and Lamaha Canal bridges will also be replaced. The wooden bridge at Homestretch Avenue will be replaced with a concrete structure and other culverts will be extended. A pedestrian overpass and roundabout at the Sheriff Street-David Street junction are also included. Safety features include traffic signs and thermoplastic reflectors and road markings.
The final phase of works will see the pavement upgraded and asphalted. All the entrances to side roads will be upgraded, however, side roads will not be rehabilitated.
Many had questioned about the costly roundabout project and its outcome, since most commuters were scared to use the new infrastructure at first.
So far there have been at least two accidents recorded at the Kitty roundabout, although the Ministry would have invested in creating tutorials for the safe use of the roundabout.
