The completion of the Eccles to Mandela Avenue alternative road link has been further delayed due to ongoing inclement weather.
Contracts for the construction of the road were awarded in six lots in April 2021, a move contemplated to have a series of works completed simultaneously and all within a specific timespan.
On Tuesday, in response to queries from Stabroek News, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, stated that the contractors will not be able to meet the deadline, but there has been an increase in work intensity to see how much can be completed by the revised December 31st due date.
To this end, contractors have been working around the clock, and have advanced additional works at night. President Irfaan Ali had recently said that he was holding the contractors to the December 31st deadline. But with the originally scheduled completion date of November 30, 2021, already gone and with the December 31st deadline just two days away, construction of several bridges and the roundabout in the vicinity of Mandela Avenue and Aubrey Barker Road are all likely to suffer from more delays, thus, further pushing back any new projected completion date.
The highway was conceptualized by President Ali, when he was Minister of Housing and Water, and is designed in accordance with international standards i.e. AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures, FDOT Rigid Pavement Design Manual, and AASHTO – Geometric Design of Highways and Streets. The scope of works includes: land clearing and drain cleaning; construction of 5.5km of earthen drains and 200 meters of reinforced concrete drains; construction of reinforced concrete box culverts; 2.8km of four-lane rigid pavement carriageway (with two parking lanes; installation of solar street lights; and 12 reinforced heavy-duty composite bridges. Along the road currently under construction, are intersections, restricted to right turns, at Aubrey Barker Road, and Cane View Avenue, in South Ruimveldt Gardens. It will also feature 12 bridges, a median with lights as well as pedestrian and cycle lanes.
The new four-lane road is being constructed to the tune of $13.9 billion. The contractors for this leg are Lot 1: Guy America Construction Inc. ($555,058,718) Lot 2: (Joint Venture) MTSUL Contrucoes Ltd, M&PA Investment Inc. and Consturora Cobra Eireli ($364,474,818) Lot 3: Puran Bros. Disposal Inc. ($360.232, 635) Lot 4: (Joint Venture) Colin Talbot Contracting Services Eron Lall Civil Engineering Works ($256, 703,370 Lot 5: Aronco Servises Inc ($471.033.838) Lot 6: JS Guyana Inc. ($352.411.136).
Just last week, the ministry awarded contracts to the tune of $13.3 billion in 12 lots for the construction of an alternative four-lane highway between Eccles and Great Diamond. This new stretch of road will connect with the thoroughfare currently under construction. The project will see the construction of 9.4 kilometres of reinforced concrete roads, 12 heavy-duty bridges, a culvert, and 12 kilometers of drains.
The contracts were awarded to Lot 1, Guy America Construction Inc. – $1.2B, Lot 2 V. Dalip Enterprise $889.9 M, Lot 3 Colin Talbot Contracting Services and Eron Lall Civil Engineering Works (joint venture) – $1.3 B, Lot 4 KP Thomas and Sons contracting Inc. – $1.4 B, Lot 5 S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc. – $1.2 B, Lot 6 H. Nauth and Sons – $1.1 B, Lot 7 JS Guyana Inc. – $1.2 B, Lot 8 VALs Construction and AJM Enterprise (joint venture)- $1.1 B, Lot 9 China Railway First Group Company Ltd. – $1.02 B, Lot 10 Aronco Services Inc. – $753 M, Lot 11 Ivor Allen – $825M and Lot 12 Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. and Khemraj Nauth Contracting Services (joint venture) – $964 M. Works are expected to last between 15-18 months on the new phase of the road.
