Ongoing construction of the public road between Duncan Street and Sawpit Turn in Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, has again raised serious safety concerns among residents and passersby. However, there is to be a community engagement event today, at which the authorities will attempt to allay fears.
The issue was brought to the forefront in a live broadcast from August Andrew’s Facebook page on Saturday, which showed a deep excavation that has since caused a significant section of the road to collapse. On November 14th, the same Facebook page had documented the work beforehand.
In the video, the voice behind the account—presumed to be Andrew himself—expressed alarm over the state of the road. “The contractor excavated a deep hole here, and it undermined the road. Now we had to cordon off the area because it’s too dangerous for vehicles to pass through,” Andrew said, pointing to the large hole. He pointed out the potential risks, warning, “This could have been avoided if the contractor had filled in the hole right after digging. Instead, they left it open, and now a catastrophe could have taken place.”
The live broadcast quickly garnered attention, with many viewers expressing concern over the lack of safety measures and the exposure of a major highway to unnecessary risks. The road in question serves as a critical route for thousands of commuters travelling from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to various parts of West Bank Demerara.
Locals also highlighted a significant erosion issue along the same stretch of road, further complicating an already precarious situation. “There’s a major erosion problem here,” said Andrew during the live broadcast. “The road has already started to wash away in some parts. We’re urging people to exercise caution and take the diversion road. It’s not safe right now.”
The Ministry of Public Works told this newspaper yesterday that there will be a community engagement exercise today, to address the ongoing rehabilitation project and upgrade of the West Demerara road corridor. Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill confirmed that major work was planned for the stretch of road between the Demerara Harbour Bridge and Patentia, which will include significant upgrades and safety enhancements.
