Govt. looking to prequalify contractors for US$120M upgrade of Linden Highway

Sep 26, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GoG) has received the US$120 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and is looking to prequalify contractors for the repairs to the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill

In a Ministry of Public Works advertisement it was stated that the Government intends to apply a portion of the loan to eligible payments for the project. The Linden-Soesdyke Highway is the main road link that connects Guyana’s coast to the mining town of Linden and the country’s interior regions.

The US$120 million loan is added to the $2.6 billion that was allocated for the project in this year’s budget for the rehabilitation of the highway. According to the advertisement, the Public Works Ministry through its Work Services Group (WSG) is responsible for the overall implementation of the project. The project entails reconstruction of approximately 73km of the asphaltic concrete pavement from the Soesdyke junction to the Wismar Bridge in Linden.

Key elements of the scope of works include: milling of existing asphalt surface course, application of varying pavement structures above the milled sections of pavement inclusive of asphalt, sand asphalt &/ sub-base, full depth pavement reconstruction in certain sections, construction of two roundabouts along the alignment, sidewalk extensions to 9 multi-span bridges, drainage works and utility relocation and installation of roadway lighting.

The prequalification documents were published by Wednesday, September 21, 2022, and Invitations for Bids will be issued to prequalified contractors in December 2022.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo earlier this year had stated that the highway needed major rehabilitation works. It was during an outreach in Linden on Sunday, March 27, 2022, when the Vice President stated that while the Government has spent money repairing the road, because of exhaustive use, it has returned to a dilapidated state over time.

Notably, in 2021, the Government spent about $150 million on rehabilitative works on some sections of the roadway and engaging in drainage works. Despite this following a trip to the mining town, Jagdeo stated “… the highway is in a horrible state, and it was a bad experience coming up here.”