-following protest over state of road
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, and Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, yesterday morning met with residents of Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, to address concerns over the road’s deteriorating condition which led to a protest on Thursday evening.
Edghill told residents that they were informed publicly at the community level that the Aubrey Barker Road is being developed into a four-lane road. The first two sections of the road have been completed since they are being executed in lots. The Ministry recently awarded three lots of the same road that will lead to Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
The contract has been awarded and contractors will be mobilised by next week. Edghill however acknowledged that the concern is that while construction is ongoing, the road should be undergoing maintenance. On Thursday night the ministry intervened and the huge potholes were filled with sand and crusher run. The contactor that was awarded the lots will be tasked with maintenance as works are expected to begin soon.
Further, there will be an engagement between the Ministry, the contractor who was awarded the lot, and those working in the housing scheme. They are expected to develop a maintenance plan.
The minister’s assessment of the ongoing challenges faced by residents, was that the roads in the area are struggling to accommodate the increasing volume and tonnage of traffic that flows through them daily. This persistent strain leads to the inevitable development of pressure points and potholes, undermining the integrity of the roadways. Each road construction project is typically accompanied by a maintenance plan designed to address these issues.
“The truth about it is, these roads can’t handle the volume as well as the tonnage that is coming through here on a continuous basis, so you will end up having the pressure and holes developing. Every time we do roads there is always a maintenance plan, the reality is we haven’t been able to kick that into function because the two parties have not yet connected.”
While the ongoing development of the road and scheme will be beneficial in the long term, Edghill added that issues of this nature may arise and they are to be resolved. The Public Works Minister assured the residents that when issues of this nature arise, the ministry can be contacted through many avenues. He emphasized that the road will be maintained.
City Councillor Kibwe Copeland, who also attended the meeting yesterday morning, explained that residents are not looking for a complete paved road at this time since the development of the scheme is ongoing. Copeland highlighted that the main issue is the maintenance of the road. Residents, who attended the meeting also said the road should be made ‘drivable’ as contractors continue their work.
Croal explained that Aubrey Barker Road serves as one of the main entry points for the Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme, and as such, with the major development ongoing aback the scheme, heavy traffic is expected on the road. He too agreed that regular maintenance will ease the vibration within the homes.
Residents were able to use the Aubrey Barker Road yesterday morning. In an interview with Stabroek News, a driver explained that the road was in a better state yesterday morning compared to Thursday.
About 50 residents staged a protest on Thursday night and called on the Ministry of Public Works to rehabilitate and maintain the road as the development of a new housing scheme at de Endragt is ongoing. Debris was set alight and this attracted the attention of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and the Guyana Police Force. Deputy Police Commander of Region 4, Deputy Superintendent Michael Kingston attempted to negotiate with the residents in an effort to have them leave the road.
The residents of Rosa Drive, Buttercup Place, and environs, insist that they are not against development. They stated collectively, that the deplorable state of the road has cost them much money. Vehicles are faced with mechanical issues as a consequence of traversing the road, while heavy-duty trucks pose a threat to homes as several residents have complained about cracked foundations.
