The four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela, which is being constructed under the auspices of the Ministry of Housing, is slated to be completed by February month-end.
This was indicated by Housing Minister Collin Croal during an interview with this publication on the sidelines of the budget presentation.
The Housing Minister said works on the highway have been progressing since last year and is expected to conclude by next month.
“Directly in terms of housing, of course you know there is money allocated for us to continue our infrastructure works. That is for areas in keeping with our allocation exercise. Then you also have as part of that, the road connectivity to continue our four-lane.”
“We’ve paid the mobilisation advance and that is from Eccles to Great Diamond. You have the final set of payments to be made on the current four-lane from Mandela to Eccles. That will be completed by the end of next month. And so, within the first quarter, persons can be able to access (the road),” Minister Croal explained.
Work on constructing the $2.3 billion four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela started in April 2021. Contracts were signed with six contractors and were supposed to have been completed by December 2021.
However, inclement weather resulted in the project, which will be important in alleviating traffic build up on the East Bank, being delayed.
The Eccles to Mandela four-lane project is the second phase of the Ogle-Diamond bypass project and is intended to tie in with the overall four-lane project currently being built.
These projects are part of the India-funded Bypass Road Project which would link the East Bank Demerara corridor to the East Coast of Demerara, creating a new highway in the backlands.
The Indian Government had provided a US$50 million Line of Credit (LOC) for the road link that was initially slated for Ogle, ECD, to Diamond. Under the previous Government, the project was at a standstill for several years.
The President Dr Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Administration has since redesigned the project into three phases to fit the LOC. It will now run from Ogle to Haags Bosch at Eccles in the first phase, then from Eccles to Diamond, and finally from Diamond to Timehri to connect to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
