$2.6B Mandela to Eccles four-lane highway commissioned

Apr 15, 2022 News

– Equipped with security feature to identify and track errant road users

President Mohammed Irfaan Ali speaking at last night’s commissioning Ceremony.

Kaieteur News – President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursday evening commissioned the newly constructed $2.664B Mandela to Eccles four-lane highway equipped with a security feature that can track errant and reckless road users.
The highway includes a roundabout, and was a project carried out by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), an agency that falls under the preview of the Ministry of Housing and Water.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony last evening, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CH&PA, Sherwyn Greaves said, works on the highway began April 15, 2021 and was completed, on April 13, 2022. It took eight contractors-local and international- to complete the highway that spans approximately 2.84 Kilometers. Some of the contractors involved with the project included, Pooran Brothers, Aranco Limited, Junior Sammy Guyana Incorporated, M. Balgobin and Sons Contracting services Limited and KSM Investment.
The new four-lane highway according to Greaves, is designed to high American standards.

“The main highway is a jointed concrete structure on white sand base, the roundabout is an asphaltic concrete pavement and this highway is designed for high volume traffic”, stated Greaves.
It is also equipped with parking lanes, sidewalks, 12 reinforced concrete composite bridges, three reinforced concrete culverts and 214 solar power street lamps.
Apart from the infrastructural works that were done on the multibillion dollar roadway, it is also equipped with a security feature that can track errant road users.
According to President Ali, that new security feature will be turned on in three weeks’ time.
“This highway will carry a new feature in three weeks, the full security feature on this highway will be turned on”, said the president.
“This feature” continued Ali, “will track vehicle speed and record vehicle speed and transmit your speed electronically to the Guyana Police Force a

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal

nd the Guyana Revenue Authority”.
Ali said the feature will also be able to identify number plates and the image of drivers and their front seat passengers- even on dark rainy nights- and transmit that information electronically to the relevant authorities.
If motorists are found breaking the traffic rules, such as driving above the speed limit, then the information will be used to prosecute them.
The speed limit for the new highway was given as 30Kmph at the roundabout, 50Kmph in residential areas and 80Kmph in open spaces.
The President also hinted that his government is planning to make some adjustments to the country laws to implement a demerit system for drivers. Each time a driver breaks the law it will be noted down and can eventually lead to them losing their licence.
He even spoke of an initiative to mail tickets to the home of motorists, who break the rules, and should they fail to pay them, then their road service licence will not be renewed the following year.
Meanwhile, minister of the Housing Ministry, Collin Croal reminded the audience in attendance of the commissioning ceremony that one of the main reasons behind the billion dollar investment is to reduce traffic congestion along the East bank corridor by providing alternative routes from Georgetown.
He also boasted that one of the spin off benefits from the investment is the significant increase of land value along the new four-lane highway.

A shot of the highway from ground level.

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