East Bank four-lane completion set for mid-year

The four-lane East Bank highway expansion to Diamond will not make the month-end deadline.

Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn

Rather, delays have forced the Ministry of Public Works to now look at mid-year completion. According to Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, among the major works to be completed is the Diamond Bridge located in proximity to Demerara Distillers Limited. Parts of it have been dismantled and a bypass created to allow for traffic. The US$20M four-lane extension from Providence to Diamond, divided in three lots, has been facing numerous delays, with the deadline pushed back from time to time. Lot 1- from Providence to Covent Garden was awarded to DipCon while Gaico Construction had the piece from Prospect to Diamond, in the vicinity of the DSL Shopping Centre. BK International had the remainder to the Diamond traffic light, including the crucial Diamond Bridge. According to Minister Benn, in Section One, there are delays with the Providence/Herstelling Bridge. Another major problem which had led to a war of words between BK, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Ministry, was the removal of utilities, including

Work on this bridge at Diamond will delay the completion of the four-lane extension, Government says.

utility poles and water pipelines. Benn explained that sometimes, contractors found that the utilities were not where they were supposed to be. “There was some breakdown in communication sometimes with their schedules and maybe not seeing the completion as important to our schedule.” The Minister admitted that Government is very much cognizant of the problems that cropped up on the East Bank four-lane expansion. The same kinds of difficulties are expected during the West Demerara road expansion recently announced. Questioned about seeming lax attitude that Government has in not penalizing contractors for delays, the Minister pointed out that it is a fact that contracts specify what conditions and delinquencies that a company can be penalized for. “We are concerned that perhaps some of the contractors have too much to do.  We have been talking about overall project management and oversight and diligence with respect to projects. We are working with consultants and remain concerned.” The official said that his ministry had attempted to get contractors to even work in the night, but concerns over workers’ safety and willingness have stymied progress in this area. Contractors have also complained about the increasing costs of material. Commuters are daily facing congestion on the busiest roadway in the country. The roads, because of the construction, are also in bad shape, leading to more frustration from the public. The project kicked off in early 2012 and was expected to end late 2013. The roadway itself not only links West Demerara via the Demerara Harbour Bridge, but leads to the main international airport at Timehri, and Linden, a main gateway to the hinterland.