Public Works Ministry set to spend over $2B on road projects

Feb 17, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Having been allotted the largest share of Budget 2022, the Ministry of Public Works is preparing to spend over $2 billion out of its $76.7 billion budgetary allocation to facilitate the continued rehabilitation and construction of a number of roads in the country.
This is according to a public notice issued by the Ministry inviting sealed bids for the ‘Rehabilitation of Public and Main Access Roads, Miscellaneous and Hinterlands Roads’.
The Ministry’s budget, which was passed in the National Assembly last week, would see the spending of $3.4 billion for hinterland roads and another $15.2 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of urban and community roads across the country.
In its notice, the Ministry noted that it intends to kick start its road projects for the year with the rehabilitation of main and public access roads at Lima Sands, Region Two; Canal No.1 and 2 Polders, Region Three; De Hoop, Region Four; Burma and Mahaicony Branch Road, Region Five and at Black Bush Polder in Region Six. The total sum of its engineer’s estimates would see these projects costing some $900,000,000.
In terms of miscellaneous roads in the country, the Ministry plans to continue rehabilitation works at Onderneeming, Region Two and at No. 58 Village in Region Six. No engineer costs were release for these projects but will be in the tender documents.
Meanwhile, as it relates to the hinterland roads, works would be executed in Region One at Moruca, Mabaruma to Hosororo, Wanaina to Yarakita; Kwebanna, Mabaruma to Morawhanna and Kaituma to the Airstrip Road. In Region Six, Orealla to Kwakwani would see phase two of the road being rehabilitated. In Region Seven, works would be done at 4 Mile Housing Scheme and at West Bartica Secondary School, while in Region Eight, works for phase two of the Mahdia main access road would be carried out.
In Region Nine, the Ministry is inviting contractors to execute works at Lethem, Karasabai to Yarong Peru (Monkey Mountain), Barrack Retreat, and at Central South and Deep South Rupununi. Lastly, in Region 10, the 1 Mile, Mabura to Mango Landing, Malali and Mabura to Murtaria roads would be rehabilitated.
These works, according to the Ministry’s engineer estimate, are slated to cost $1,829,301,000.
Earlier this year, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar stated that his Ministry spent some $2,150,000,000 on a number of hinterland roads for last year in Regions including One, Seven, Eight, Nine and 10.
The Minister said major works were done on these roads because some were either destroyed by heavy rainfall or by heavily loaded trucks. He added that the roads were constructed with concrete, a move taken by the Ministry to move away from laterite roads.
In addition to that, a total of $8.89 billion (just over US$40M) was spent to build and rehabilitate miscellaneous and urban roads in that same year. According to the Minister, this was one of the biggest programmes undertaken by his Ministry for 2021.
Indar had explained that during that year, a total of 303 miscellaneous roads (community roads) and about 36 urban roads were done across Guyana.
The Minister stated that the demand for roads and the speed at which they deliver them remains a key focus for his Ministry.
The Ministry of Public Works’ projects are slated to open on March 8 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board office.

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