Indian company Ashoka Build Con has commenced construction works for the long gestating four lane East Coast-East Bank Demerara bypass road project.
The thoroughfare is being constructed from the intersection of the Ogle Airstrip Road and the Rupert Craig Highway (ECD) to Haags Bosch, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Friday told Stabroek News that works commenced a few weeks ago and have been ongoing.
During a visit to the worksite at the Eccles end of the project, Stabroek News observed that the ground surface has been cleared of debris and vegetation. Persons in the area, who are familiar with the works, said the company has been working swiftly to clear the outlined path of the thoroughfare.
Stabroek News was told that the contractors were scheduled to begin stock piling sand for back filling on Friday. However, when this newspaper visited there was no such activity and an individual explained that the halt in plans was due to inclement weather conditions.
The project, a brainchild of the PPP/C government, is being realised out of a loan agreement from the Indian Government following a visit by former President Donald Ramotar. The loan is from the Indian Exim Bank.
On their return to 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.
Government in June of this year signed a contract with Ashoka Build Con for the construction of the road. The road is being constructed to the tune of US$106.3 million. While government will be accessing a US$50 million line of credit from the Indian EXIM Bank it has to come up with the remainder.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar at the contract signing said that the project would see the construction of a 7.8-kilometre, 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.
Construction of the road was expected to commence by August at the end of the rainy period, Ashoka Build Con Director Ashish Kataria said on the day of the contract signing.
Though the project is scheduled to be completed in 24 months, the contractor was challenged to complete works before the stipulated deadline.
This will be the first major project for the company in Guyana and Kataria said they are assessing future opportunities here in the emerging infrastructural and oil and gas sectors here.
Government has also signed a US$3.2 million with another Indian company, RITES Limited. The company will provide supervisory and consultation services during the construction of the road.
According to Ashoka’s website, the company is a full-service contractor and industry leader, with the expertise to execute any scale of project within a limited time span. It boasts over 35 years of experience with some of India’s most challenging and complex projects.
