THE US$44.3M (GY$9.2B) contract for massive rehabilitation of the West Coast Demerara/ East Bank Essequibo corridor, from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, has been awarded and has received Cabinet’s no-objection, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, at a news conference yesterday.And Chief Roads and Bridges Officer of the Public Works Ministry, Ron Rahaman, told the Guyana Chronicle that the contract was awarded to Surrey Paving and Aggregate Co. Limited, in association with BK International.
The award of the contract followed the approval of the bidding document by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in early September.
CDB ENGAGEMENT
A total of 31 kilometres of roadway are expected to be rehabilitated, while 28.5 kilometres of foot-paths for pedestrians and 20 kilometres for cyclists will be developed under an agreement between the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Additionally, the CDB is doing a review of the massive project.
The partnership with the CDB is the fourth road- improvement project, with a financing cost of US$46.7M and Rahaman explained that this sum includes the civil works, supervision and studies.
At the launch of the project in March this year, subject Minister Robeson Benn explained that the primary objective of the project is to increase efficiency and safety of road transportation along the West Coast Demerara/East Bank Essequibo corridor.
Benn pointed out that infrastructural development has a multiplying effect on socio-economic advances in the country, particularly in rural communities.
“There has been significant growth,” he said, adding that constrained infrastructural development poses real challenges to growth.
DIFFERENT ROLES
Benn’s ministry, as per the CDB agreement, will be tasked with maintenance, which was identified by the CDB as a risk to the sustainability of the completed works. The Government will also be expected to report annually on their maintenance works, particularly since the project monitoring and evaluation component of the agreement is key to ensuring the standard and quality of such undertakings.
Additionally, a project management team will be supported by a steering committee and the ministry – all of whom report to the CDB. The Project Coordinator is Kester Hinds, while the CDB focal point is Glen MaCarvell.
The project has several components, including: the actual road works; road safety awareness at the level of schools and communities; capacity- building; engineering services and project monitoring and evaluation.
The project has a life of five years; however, the actual road improvement works are expected to be completed within two years. These actual road works are expected to begin, after the contract has been signed, in early 2015, but it is expected that preparatory works, including the establishment of a site office and surveys, will commence before the end of this year.