Works progressing on both ends of US$106M Ogle-to-Eccles road – Min Indar

– Indian External Affairs Minister among high-level delegation visit site

During his visit to Guyana, India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, visited the Indian-funded Ogle-to-Eccles Road Linkage Project on Saturday where it was evident that work is progressing at both ends of the 7.8-kilometre alignment.

The US$106.3 million project, which will provide a direct, four-lane road link between the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), is being funded by the Indian Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
On Saturday, Dr Jaishankar and Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar toured the site where they were briefed by contractor, Ashoka Buildcon Limited on the progression of the project.
They were accompanied by senior officials from the Public Works Ministry, and other Government Ministries and agencies, as well as top public officials from India including the Chief Scientist and Head of the International S&T Affairs Directorate (ISTAD) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Rama Swami Bansal. India’s High Commissioner to Guyana Dr KJ Srinivasa was also part of the delegation.
In an interview with Guyana Times after the tour, Minister Indar noted that the progress at the worksite, despite the challenges, was extremely positive. In particular, he pointed out that works are progressing on both sides of the 7.7-kilometre alignment, including at Eccles, EBD.
“I’m extremely happy that the External Affairs Minister, Dr Jaishankar was here. And to visit the site as well. Ashoka Buildcon has been progressing with the work as we saw the physical work on the ground.”
“So, we continue to work with the contractor to execute this very important link between the East Coast and the East Bank,” Indar said.
During a recent visit by President Dr Irfaan Ali earlier this month, it was explained that land-filling activities started last year and that up to that point, 6.5 kilometres had been completed. Asphaltic concrete is expected to be used on the main alignment, similar to what currently obtains on the East Bank and railway embankment.
The multi-million contract was signed last year with Ashoka Buildcon, an Indian company, to construct the four-lane road. It was announced in January 2022 that Ashoka Buildcon Limited won the contract to construct the road, ahead of two other Indian companies. Ashoka has previously built a number of bridges and roads in different jurisdictions.
According to the company’s website, it even built a bridge in 38 days, namely the Mandve Bridge near Pandharpur, India. According to the company, the bridge was supposed to be built in 12 months.
In February 2021, the Government of India approved the new scope of works for the redesigned bypass road project that would link the ECD at Ogle to Haags Bosch in Eccles, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara.
RITES Limited, an engineering consultancy company based in India, had undertaken a 10-month design consultancy, which produced a Detailed Project Report (DPR) outlining the draft final design of the bypass road. It is this report which recommended a four-lane highway as most feasible.
Back in 2015, the Indian Government had provided a US$50 million Line of Credit (LOC) for the road link that was initially slated for Ogle to Diamond, EBD. However, the project cost was driven up to over US$208 million by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government and the project languished under them.
However, when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government took office in 2020, it redesigned the project into two phases to fit the LOC – first from Ogle to Haags Bosch road, which is about 48-50 per cent of the project, and then from Haags Bosch to Diamond – in order to fit the US$50 million LOC.
Because of these changes in the scope of the project, additional approvals were required from New Delhi, and after several months, this was obtained. (G-3)