Brazilian Company Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA, which was awarded the contract for the US$190 million Linden to Mabura Road project, has lost 72 per cent of construction time due to procurement challenges.
The Linden to Mabura Hill Road, which will eventually reach all the way to Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), is a vital road network that is being utilised by a total of 50,000 Guyanese who transport goods from the coast to the inland regions of Guyana.
This publication understands that 26 kilometres of the 121-kilometre asphaltic road is completed, and this represents a completion rate of 24 per cent.
In a written reply to this publication, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill revealed that the Brazilian contractor had stopped procurement and works on June 18, 2024; however, construction of the road network recommenced on August 12, 2024.
Despite the time-lapse, the contractor is aiming to complete 70 kilometres of the road by the end of the year.
Currently, two teams are working on the subbase, which includes the layering of aggregate material that lies immediately below the pavement, while one team is doing the subgrade.
The US$190 million contract for the road was signed in May 2022, and is scheduled to be completed by July 2025.
The project is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant to the tune of £50 million (US$66 million) from the United Kingdom under the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (CIPF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government.
This is the largest grant Guyana has ever received from the Government of the UK.
With a 7.2-metre-wide carriageway, the Linden-to-Mabura Road is expected to feature a cycle and pedestrian lane measuring 2 metres wide, along with 10 bus stops outfitted with ramps for persons with disabilities.
Additionally, a number of bridges and culverts along the way would be replaced, and some 123 lights would be installed.
In its commitment to this project, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration had set aside some $3.19 billion in the 2022 budget for the construction of 32 bridges between Kurupukari and Lethem along the Linden-to-Lethem trail. This leg of the project is expected to last for three years.
These pertinent pieces of infrastructure will elevate challenges being faced by residents in surrounding communities and commuters who traverse the road.
One such village is the community of Malali that is located approximately 50 miles from Linden and is populated by just over 230 Amerindians of the Arawak tribe. The village’s main economic activities include logging and subsistence farming.
Further, the project will be connected to the deep-water harbour in order to streamline the transportation of goods and services in and out of northern Brazil.
Traversing sections of the Linden to Lethem Road has been a nightmare for heavily laden lorries over the past few years, with many toppling off the roadway. The bridges are even worse. Some vehicle operators would have to align the boards before attempting to cross. They do not always make it over safely.
