The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is pushing to extend the East Bank-East Coast Road Linkage Project, currently from Diamond to Ogle, towards the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
According to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, in 2019, his ministry will commence the survey and designs to extend the road Southwards, towards the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
Minister Patterson during the 2019 budget debates in the National Assembly, Wednesday last explained that the budget has a provision of $2.229Billion for the East Bank-East Coast Road Linkage Project.
To date, the feasibility and design costing $277Million (US$ 1.3M) has been awarded to consultant RITES Limited which is expected to submit the Final Detailed Project Report in April 2019.
βThis Design will allow for a new alignment, approximately 15 km long, which will connect the East Coast of Demerara to the East Bank of Demerara at the limits. It will also allow for the integration with the existing road network via several Connector roads (total length of 9.62 km) at Aubrey Barker Road, Haags Bosch Road, Mocha Arcadia Road and Diamond Access Road. Later with the new bridge, at Houston,β Minister Patterson was quoted by DPI as saying.
The Public Infrastructure Minister further explained that the proposed design for the main alignment comprises three sections, between Rupert Craig and Railway Embankment which will have four lanes with a cycle lane on each side and covered concrete drain which will be used as a sidewalk; between Railway Embankment and GuySuCo Compound a similar design but expanded and the cane field area which will have four lanes with a 40m reserve to separate direction of traffic. All other deliverables will be submitted in 2019, DPI reported.
