As an improvement on the Good Success to Timehri road is underway Project Manager at the Ministry of Public Works Mark Greene is urging truck drivers to not do anything to hinder this significant development.
He made this request on Saturday during the Ministry of Public Works’ engagement with heavy-laden truck operators at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Greene said that for months residents and commuters have complained bitterly about the deplor-able state of the road and now that the ministry has signed a design and build contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation for the East Bank Road Project full cooperation is needed from the drivers of heavy-duty lorries.
The project is being funded through the Inter-American Development Bank Loan Programme to Support Climate Resilient Road Infrastructure Deve-lopment (US$117 million). The overall cost of the project is US$75,887,907.67.
Back in February, Per-manent Secretary Vladim Persaud signed on behalf of the government, while China Road and Bridge Corporation’s Senior Engi-neer Bo Zhang signed on behalf of his company.
Through this contract, approximately 23.7 km of roadway will be built. The road is being upgraded to a two-lane roadway and will include safety features for vulnerable road users: pedestrians and cyclists. It will include sidewalks, cycle lanes, and the construction of concrete drains. The design will include thermoplastic road markings, LED street lighting, and traffic signs.
China Road and Bridge Corporation will also reconstruct the bridges and culverts, as well as widen the culverts along the road from Good Success to Timehri.
The Government of Guyana has also signed a contract with US company Sheladia Associates Inc for design review and supervision services for this project.
According to Greene, he has received a few complaints from the project contractor about truck drivers blocking the work site and warned that this will not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill updated the media on the bidding process for work on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. He said that they are currently at the phase to await the potential and eligible bidder. Once that is finalised the contract will be signed.
According to the minister, two roundabouts are expected to be established at the junctions from Soedsyke to Millie’s Hideout.
He is also unhappy with how heavy trucks are destroying the current Linden-Mabura Hill Road Project. This, according to Minister Edghill, is a disservice to the efforts of the contracted company as what was damaged, now has to be replaced.
But with the installation of truck scales, “this level of lawless behaviour” will soon come to an end, Minister Edghill affirmed.
“It is time we get our act together and we need a culture change,” the minister said.
Head of the Ministry’s Special Projects Unit Colin Gittens who spoke on the maintenance of roads indicated that heavy-laden truck drivers sometimes allow their quarrying materials to disrupt the flow of phased developmental works on public infrastructure like roads and bridges.
He said this significantly affects the ministry’s maintenance budget as many times contractors have to be paid to remove aggregates. Indiscriminate driving of heavy tonne trucks that failed to have covers while carrying aggregates should be abated, Gittens recommended.
“Drivers must ensure that their covers are fixed properly. This is your trade, you cannot inconvenience commuters. Even if your sand spills on the road or on any project that is completed or being completed you are duty bound to make sure that persons are not affected,” he admonished.
“Persons are about making an extra dollar but we must take into consideration our actions, Not only contractors but truck drivers as well.”
