Government this afternoon signed the contract for the construction of the long awaited road link between Ogle, East Coast Demerara and Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
The cost for the construction of the road is pegged at US$106.4 million.
The contract was signed with Indian company Ashoka Construction Company at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar announced that the project would see the construction of a 7.8-kilometer four-lane road, with each lane being 3.6 meters wide. In addition to a median, the road will also feature sidewalks and supporting structures.
Another feature of the road will be a connector to the Eccles access road.
The road, Indar said, will be of tremendous benefit to commuters who wish not travel through the city and will also aid in the prevention of traffic congestion.
Ashoka Construction Company had won the bid for the construction of the road, which has been in the pipeline since 2015. The offering of a 5 per cent discount off its original bid price, which was the highest, made the company the best choice for the project.
Fellow Indian company RITES Limited will provide supervisory services during the consultation phase of the road.
During a visit to India in January 2015, then-president Donald Ramotar had received a US$50 million loan commitment from the Indian Exim Bank to fund the road project. After taking office in 2020, the PPP/C-led government amended the design of the proposed Ogle to Diamond bypass road to bring the project costs in line with the funds made available by the Indian government.
