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Coalition Govt. had requested loan increase from India to fund bypass road – Patterson
Kaieteur News – Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, revealed yesterday that the APNU+AFC Coalition administration had requested a loan increase from India to fund its bypass road plans.
Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.
He made this revelation after he pointed out that the US$50M loan for the bypass road linking the East Coast of Demerara with the East Bank Demerara was approved since 2017.
Kaieteur News had reported on Friday that the loan agreement was signed by the then Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, but erroneously stated that it was only approved when the current administration took office.
As he pointed out the error, Patterson related that the Coalition had spent US$1.3M from the US$50M loan on consultancy services for its bypass road plans. He stated that the consultancy was awarded to RITES, an Indian company. The company was mandated provide a design for a modern superhighway that can serve Guyana for the next 50 years, ensure that space for future expansion is available and to design a highway, which was environmentally sustainable. A final report was submitted in 2019 with a design that was in agreement with the Coalition’s vision.
In order to make the plan a reality, the Coalition had to request a loan increase from the Indian Government.
Patterson said that the plan was to construct 25.42Km road from Ogle on the East Coast Demerara to Diamond on the East Bank Demerara at an estimated cost of US$177M.
The Coalition’s estimates for its bypass road plans.
The estimated cost, detailed Patterson was being reviewed too. He said that the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure had hired an independent geotechnical engineer “whose job was to review the proposed subsurface design with a view of achieving some cost savings.”
The highway, according to Patterson, would have included a modern roundabout at the intersection of the highway and the embankment, concrete drains, footpaths, 16 bridges – one of them specially designed – 85 culverts plus other modern amenities associated with a superhighway.
“Street lighting along the entire highway would have been included along with traffic lights, bus stops and other such safety measures as well,” stated Patterson.
Part of the plan he continued was for the highway to be connected to four different communities, South Ruimveldt, Eccles, Mocha Arcadia and Diamond. The connector roads, related Patterson, would have been funded by other sources.
The current Government argued that that the Coalition had pushed up the cost of the bypass road to US$208M when India had only committed to lending US$50M. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, had stated as well that the Coalition’s plan contained too many connector roads.
Patterson however said that the drive behind the Coalition’s “superhighway” plans was because of Guyana’s projected growth.
“Because of the projected growth in the country, you have to plan to accommodate this projected growth,” Patterson said.
The former Minister based his reason on the fact that Guyana is an oil-producing nation and said that the country needs a highway, which would not only serve as an alternative route to the East Bank Demerara Road but one that could serve as an economic driver.
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