Synergy Holdings has commenced phase one of the Amaila Falls roads project and has started clearing the area in preparation for the construction of the road, Senior Government Engineer Walter Willis says.
Willis was reluctant to speak on the project stating that the progress reports will be released in “due course” by the relevant authorities.
President of Synergy Holdings Makeshwar Fip Motilall during a recent interview with public relations executive Cathy Hughes had promised that Guyanese would be allowed “to monitor” the project. He said that this would include persons being allowed to visit the site as long as it was safe.
On October 5, Synergy was granted the construction notice to proceed by the Ministry of Public Works, paving the way for the company to finally start the project. Questions have been raised specifically about the company’s road building experience and its capacity to undertake a project with the difficulties such as this one.
The US$15.4 million contract awarded to Synergy is for “the upgrading of approximately 85 km of existing roadway, the design and construction of approximately 110 km of virgin roadway, the design and construction of two new pontoon crossings at the Essequibo and Kuribrong rivers.” The fourth part of the project is for the clearing of a pathway alongside the roadways to allow for the installation of approximately 65 km of transmission lines.
The contract stipulates that the contract be finished within eight months—a task which Motilall said would be challenging but possible. “We have committed to do it in eight months because that is what the project calls for. It can be done but it needs to be done in a very coordinated way”. He said that the team will be trying to cut time by having three teams working on different parts of the projects together.
Motilall has said that his company has over seven years of road building experience in Florida and Georgia, adding that these roads were built in very difficult terrain.