The PPP/C government has amended the design of the proposed Ogle to Diamond bypass road so the project cost could be in line with the available sums and the Indian Government has accepted the proposal.
Initial works are likely to commence by the end of 2020 into the first quarter of 2021.
Former President Donald Ramotar during his visit to India in January 2015 had received a US$50 million loan commitment from the Indian Exim bank to fund the road project.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar yesterday told Stabroek News that after talks with the Indian government they are in agreement to accelerate the project. He explained that the Indian government will have oversight of the procurement process and will invite international bidders to submit bids.
According to Indar after re-examining the design of the road, they were able to amend the design to fit the sum available.
The US$50 million will see the first phase of the road constructed from Ogle, East Coast Demerara, to Haags Bosch on the East Bank and will later have a connection to Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
“Within ten 10 days of being in government with the leadership of President [Irfaan Ali] and Vice President [Bharrat] Jagdeo [we] were are able to get this project moving again. The Indian government accepted the proposal two weeks ago,” Indar informed.
He noted that they will have to consider a new connection point in the second phase since that was a factor driving up the cost of the project. The minister explained that the area in Mocha where a section of the road would have passed through is swampy and millions would have be spent to develop the area.
“For you to do those swamps, the cost of the earth works pushed up the cost to US$208 million. Remember, the Indian Government only had US$50 million allocated to this project. So, we had to redesign the project to bring it to the original design,” Indar explained in an interview with DPI.
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told this newspaper that Guyanese should have already been benefitting from this project.
He complained that five years went by without any substantial work being done by the former government to have the road in place.
“We would have met with the Indian government through the Indian High Commission and we would have agreed to move ahead with the project after extensive discussions… At the appropriate time we will continue the road further up but as it is we are going to get started on this project,” Edghill related.
He added: “As it is right now we are at a level where works will be started but we have to look at the procurement process. Once we have a contractor, works will start, and I will say by early 2021 the people will see actual works being done. This is a long overdue project,” the minister underscored.
Just after taking up office, Edghill had said this is a priority project for the new PPP/C government.
“We have asked the engineers and people here to provide us with the original design for the original US$50 million road and alignment and the design [with the changes] to road and alignment and to provide options if there is any other option for decision making. We are looking at what we left and we are looking at what was changed,” the minister had explained.
Under the APNU+AFC administration, alterations done to the design of the road resulting in the cost spiralling from US$50 million to US$208 million.
In 2017, APNU+AFC Minister of Finance Winston Jordan had signed off on the US$50 million loan with the Exim Bank of India for the construction of a 20-kilometre road from Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara, to Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.
The new road link is expected to serve as a corridor for communities on the East Bank, including Perseverance, Providence, Eccles, Peter’s Hall and Aubrey Barker Road. It will also provide a bypass away from the city.
During the feasibility study period, which established the road alignment, Jordan said, “our engineering teams encountered a swampy area between Ogle and Diamond.”
Indian company RITES Limited was awarded a US$1.3 million contract to undertake a feasibility study.
In July last year, the Ministry on its Facebook page had released a short video of the design for the proposed road link. The design featured a four-lane highway and two roundabouts to assist with the flow of traffic.
RITES consultant, Rajendra Sothwal had explained that there will be several road safety provisions including metal-beam crash barriers, concrete crash barriers, lighting, adequate traffic signs, pavement marking, impact attenuators, road studs, a pedestrian footpath, cycle track and shrubs in the raised median to cut headlight glare from oncoming traffic.
Technical Services Manager at the ministry Nigel Erskine had previously said that the project would also include a 40-metre reserve in the middle of the two lanes, which the ministry decided on following a suggestion from former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson to have a rapid rail developed from Ogle to the Timehri airport that would enable persons to travel between the two locations within 15 minutes.
