A massive roundabout was on Saturday evening commissioned at Eccles/Haags Bosch junction on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), accompanied by the announcement that approximately eight interconnecting roads are likely to be built between Eccles and Diamond, to connect old and new highways.
At the commissioning ceremony for the roundabout, which also features a bronze statue of a Jaguar, President Ali made it clear that the construction was a local effort. He was optimistic that by 2027, more projects in Guyana will be constructed by local talent than foreign.
“This is part of building national pride. It is part of modernising our country. Part of transforming our thinking, our mindset, positioning our thought process to understand that we can be the best and we can do things that can be ranked with the best.”
“And much of the work we’re doing is led by local engineering and contracting skills. This design is one that we take great pride in. And I believe by the time we get to 2027, we will build up such an amazing local contracting pool, that much of our work will be done in-house,” President Ali said.
The roundabout, President Ali explained, is part of the overall infrastructural programme connecting the new, US$106 million four-lane highway from Ogle to Eccles, to the old EBD highway. According to the President, they will possibly end up with eight interconnecting roads between the old and new highway between Eccles and Diamond, where the bypass road will eventually extend.
“Importantly too, you remember when we opened the Mandela to Eccles Road, we did not complete the connection to Eccles. Now that four-lane connection is completed… a lot of the traffic from Eccles will now be able to come on directly to this highway from Providence, from Peter’s Hall, straight to Georgetown.”
“So hopefully when school reopens, we will not have the types of delays in traffic that we’ve had before. We are going to work, Housing and Public Works, in continuing this road on the Bagotsville stretch, connecting the old highway to this. So that between Eccles and Diamond, you will have perhaps about eight inter-connectors, between the old and the new highway.”
In addition to the bronze representation of Guyana’s national animal, the roundabout also features a fountain and pool. The contractor behind these and other related works on the roundabout was Build Smart Construction and Supplies.
On the other hand, the roundabout itself was built as part of the budget for the four-lane highway. Minister of Housing Collin Croal subsequently revealed in an interview with this publication at the commissioning ceremony, that the roundabout cost approximately $60 million to build.
