Fresh off his visit to Qatar where he met with a number of top Qatari officials, President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that Guyana secured a US$350 million loan that will see the four-lane highway being built from Schoonord, West Bank Demerara (WBD), to Crane on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), being extended to Parika.
The President made this announcement while meeting with residents of the Malgre Tout/Meer-Zorgen area. When it comes to the Schoonord to Crane portion of the project, he was hopeful that the bypass road could be opened by the 2023 third quarter.
“I just came back from Qatar. And we have secured US$350 million to continue that road through to Parika and complete the new four-lane road on the West Coast… we’ve already started and hopefully, by the third quarter of this year, we’ll be opening the new bypass highway from Schoonord to Crane,” Ali further explained.
During President Ali’s visit to Qatar earlier this month, he had met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. A meeting was also held with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who holds the dual portfolios of Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister; and Qatar’s Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari.
Bilateral discussions were also had between President Ali and Dr Singh and Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Abdullah Al Thani in Doha. President Ali also met with Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi.
President Ali meanwhile also held bilateral discussions with Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber was represented by its First Vice Chairman, Mohamed Bin Ahmed Bin Twar Al-Kuwari, while President Ali was joined by Dr Singh. During the discussions, the various investment opportunities in Guyana were discussed.
The discussions focused on investment opportunities in Guyana in sectors that include oil and gas, infrastructure, tourism, services, hospitality and agriculture. According to the chamber following the discussions, “Ali called on Qatari investors and businessmen to invest in his country and benefit from opportunities in many sectors, mainly in oil and gas, infrastructure, tourism, services, hospitality, agriculture and others.”
The $11.8 billion Schoonord to Crane project, which was expected to last 15 months, will see the construction of 4.1 kilometres of a dual-carriageway, reinforced concrete road with an emergency lane. Additionally, 2.4 kilometres of road rehabilitation and upgrades will be undertaken.
The project, which will also feature two roundabouts, 11 reinforced concrete box culverts, 36 pre-stressed bridges, and road signage and markings, will be undertaken by eight contractors.
These are VR Construction Inc, Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc, L-Heureuse Construction and Services Inc, GuyAmerica Construction Inc, AJM Enterprise, Vals Construction, Puran Bros Disposal Inc, and JS Guyana Inc.
Contracts for this ground-breaking initiative were signed in September of last year at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). During the ceremony, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal had noted the importance of the project to the Government’s housing development drive and its investments in Region Three.
“[It] will complement other ongoing projects we have within the region. We have, for example, activities that entail preparation works, clearance of lands for the opening of new housing areas; we have ongoing works for persons who will be able to and have started to access their lands…so you have construction of access roads, bridges, culverts, drainage…,” Croal had explained.
Croal had also made reference to the development of shore base and port facilities in the region as well as the pioneering Wales Development Plan which encompasses the gas-to-shore project, contextualising it alongside the highway.
“The construction, therefore, of this Schoonord-to-Crane highway…will also energise the economic activities within the region. These activities will no doubt result in significant improvement in job opportunities.”
“And when you have new road networking, opening of new lands will mean also, not just housing, but opportunities for expansion for agriculture and agro-processing industries, processing facilities in manufacturing and the construction of industrial complexes…,” Croal had also out
