$149M contract inked to build 8000sq. m. tarmac for vendors at Leonora Market

Dec 04, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development on Friday signed a $149M contract to build a brand new tarmac to better accommodate vendors at the Leonora Market, Region Three.

The contract which was signed at the market area by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine was awarded to S&D Construction.

In September, Kaieteur News had reported that S&D Construction was among nine contractors that bid for the project which was estimated to cost $157M according to the Ministry’s engineer.

The Ministry in a release noted that after over five decades, vendors will now benefit from a new market space conducive for plying their trade at the Leonora Market.

Ministry of Local Government’s Permanent Secretary, Prema Ramanah-Roopnarine signs the contract with a representative of S&D Construction.

In five months, transition works are to begin and a tarmac will be built. The vendors will be placed there to facilitate rehabilitation works on roads in the area.

The contract, the Ministry stated was signed for the construction of an 8000sq. meter tarmac and upon completion of this project, it will cater to just over 700 vendors at the Leonora Market space.

The Ministry noted that in the near future, more work will be completed at the market which will see the construction of sanitary facilities, upgraded drainage and electricity will be catered for and as time goes by, it would have an upgraded parking lot.

In the meantime, the trenches and drains surrounding the market area will be cleaned and up kept by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

This publication had reported that the move to upgrade the market tarmac at Leonora was first announced back in April when President Irfaan Ali and several Ministers had visited the area to address the concerns of vendors there.

During the visit, it was announced that the Leonora Market Old road will be upgraded as well as the tarmac area.

“We want to propose one huge tarmac, one huge tarmac and bring everyone on the tarmac and then develop the infrastructure around of the tarmac, that is the proposition that we have made,” the President had stated during the visit.

It was reported that when the works on the market tarmac are completed, vendors would be able to operate under better and improved conditions and this will in turn reduce the traffic congestion which would usually occur at the market area. As it relates to the Old Road, it was reported in the media that following the President’s visit, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works had engaged the vendors and announced that the upgrading of the road would cost some $69M. The road which will be asphaltic concrete would span approximately 343 metres in length.

Similar to the Leonora Market, the Ministry has also undertaken rehabilitative projects at the Mon Repos, Parika and Charity Markets where works are ongoing to improve its infrastructure.