With plans to invite expressions of interest for the construction of a new bridge across the Demerara River and a parallel secondary roadway on the East Bank Demerara, government yesterday announced that $12.6 billion will go towards sustaining and improving roads and bridges across the country.
This amount tops lasts year’s $9.4 billion by some $3.2 billion and will be divided so that $11.2 billion will be spent on roads and $1.4 billion on bridges.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, during the presentation of the 2013 Budget, said that some $300 million will go towards the rehabilitation of pontoons, buoys, sheaves and shackles, anchor chains and cluster piles to improve the structural integrity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
However, he informed that government has commenced technical examinations of the options for constructing a new bridge. “It is envisaged that, during 2013, government will invite expressions of interest for a public private partnership for this project,” he said.
The Harbour Bridge opened in 1978 and remains the major artery for the Demerara River, despite having exceeded its lifespan by some 15 years. State-owned ferries ceased working on the river several years ago leaving speedboats as the current sole option to commuters.
“It is also important to note, that despite the imminent completion of the four-lane highway it is already becoming evident that an alternative East Bank Demerara bypass road is necessary to ease congestion. To this end, government will commence preparatory works for the design of a parallel secondary road to the East Bank Demerara Highway,” he added.
Another $4 billion will go towards the completion of the four-lane access road to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the continuation of the East Bank Demerara four-lane highway, the completion of the designs and commencement of work on the Sheriff Street to Mandela Avenue roadway.
Further, Singh told the National Assembly that there will be an upgrade of the 30.5 kilometre West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, and the continuation of the widening of the highway from Better Hope to Golden Grove. In addition, he said that government will complete the designs and commence construction of 14 kilometres of farm to market roads at Parika and Ruby and the designs for the extension of the four-lane highway from Diamond to Timehri, the East Bank Berbice Road, and Canals Polder Numbers 1 and 2 roads, and commence preparatory works for a new community roads improvement project.
Rural communities and the hinterlands stand to benefit from an allocated $6.6 billion of the total amount and Singh said this “is allocated for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, upgrade and maintenance of rural, community and hinterland roads in all the regions including the Mabura Hill to Amaila Falls road, $650 million for the continued reconstruction and rehabilitation of 20 critical structures from Belladrum to Rosignol.”
In addition, $35 million will also go for street lighting from Belle Vue to Patentia, sections of the Linden highway, the Abary and Canje bridges, Number 44 to Number 54 villages, Corentyne and the Moleson Creek stelling approach.
