Year-end completion targeted – Croal on Eccles Landfill Road

Works to widen and upgrade the Eccles Landfill Road also known as the ‘Dumpsite Road’ are progressing and the section being undertaken by the Housing and Water Ministry is already some 70 per cent completed.

Already, the section from the Jaguar Roundabout to the Windsor Estate Road has been completed while works are currently ongoing along the stretch from the Windsor Estate Road, heading west to the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) Public Road.
Minister Collin Croal, during an interview with this publication explained that, that segment should be finalised by year-end.
“Most of the southern wall for all of the persons who are constructing, we’ve completed southern wall because in the widening, it’s also widening the old road that is there, right? So, it means that we have to do the concrete walls for both northern and southern walls. So, we’ve completed all the southern walls and they’re working on the northern walls. And in some cases, they’re working on filling as well as for compacting. So overall, it’s about 70 per cent complete. And to have a completion for the end of the year, that’s what I’m working towards,” the housing and water minister disclosed.
Croal explained that the road works align with the government’s broader objective of crucial connector roads to the East Bank thoroughfare, ensuring greater traffic flow and enhanced connectivity throughout Guyana.
“Well, that road is intertwined in terms of the massive plan as a result of where we’re placing the bridge. You know, the industrial road was always existing. But the reason why we have to widen that is because of the volume of traffic that is flowing. So, if you’re coming from the East Bank, it’s one of the main access points. When the Ogle to Eccles Four-Lane Road is complete, you’ll be able to connect and come all the way to the East Bank without having to turn because you’ll meet the Eccles roundabout and then go to the main road.  The Demerara Harbour Bridge is landing at Nandy Park. Following that, there are a number of connecting roads that will be done. And one of where it will flow into, will be the Eccles Industrial Road,” Croal added.
Works began several years ago on upgrading the Eccles Landfill Road with the initial cost of $1.2 billion, however, it was later extended in keeping with the transformation of the Guyana’s infrastructural landscape.
According to Croal, as the project progress, commuters can anticipate improved infrastructure that will facilitate more efficient travel experiences.
Back in April, 2022, the $2.3 billion four-lane Eccles-to-Mandela Highway was opened, thus providing an alternate route to bring relief from the heavy traffic on the EBD during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
The project, which was executed by the Housing Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), represents the construction of the country’s first fully concreted four-lane highway, with dual carriageways of two lanes each and jointed reinforced concrete pavement.
Late 2023, the Eccles to Diamond four-lane road was commissioned and named the Heroes Highway, in honour of the five Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks who died days before in a horrific helicopter crash.
This four-lane road project is a result of efforts by the President Dr. Irfaan Ali-led Government to ease traffic congestion on the East Bank, which not only leads to the country’s main port of entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) – but also fields traffic coming from West Demerara. (G1)