The contract for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway has received at least four bids, including a bid from the consultant currently supervising the Ogle-Eccles, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) bypass road.
The bids were recently opened by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). RITES Limited, an Indian firm that signed a US$3.2 million contract last year to supervise the construction of the Ogle-Eccles four-lane bypass road, was among the bidders.
Also bidding for the Soesdyke-Linden Highway reconstruction project was E&A Consultants Incorporated, which is a local company, in association with the United States (US) company Sheladia Associates.
Additionally, a bid was submitted by local company CB & Associates Incorporated, in association with Kuwaiti company Al-Habshi Engineering Construction. Lastly, the Guyanese company Sizwe Jackson Consultancy Service also submitted a bid.
In October of last year, after several months of waiting, a US$120 million loan that the Government had sought for resurfacing the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, had been approved by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
Prior to that approval, a team from the IsDB had visited Guyana on an appraisal mission for the loan request. The IsDB team was led by Atiq Ahmad, Lead Global Transport Specialist – Economic and Social Infrastructure Department, General Directorate for Global Practices & Partnerships of the IsDB.
On the Government side, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill was joined by his Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud, Dr Tarachand Balgobin, Director of the Project Cycle Management Division at the Ministry of Finance and Patrick Thompson, Chief Transport and Planning Officer.
During the meeting, the IsDB team was introduced to their local technical counterparts from the Ministry of Public Works. At the time, Minister Edghill had reiterated the importance of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway project and assured the visiting team there is already an accountability system in place to ensure this project is executed efficiently.
Last year, the Ministry’s work services group (WSG) started prequalifying contractors for the upgrading of the existing 72.43km two-lane, single-carriageway, and rural arterial highway. The scope of work entails milling of existing asphalt surface course, and application of varying pavement structures above the milled sections of pavement inclusive of asphalt, sand asphalt, and sub-base.
It also includes full-depth pavement reconstruction in certain sections, construction of two roundabouts along the alignment, sidewalk extensions to nine multi-span bridges, drainage work, utility relocation, and installation of roadway lighting.
The upgrade to the highway is part of several key plans that the Government has outlined for the Upper Demerara-Berbice region. In January of this year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that three new planned settlements will be established along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway to relocate scores of squatters currently occupying lands there.
In March 2023, consultations started with residents along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and surrounding communities on the transformative Silica City and were aimed at ensuring persons in geographic proximity are updated on the progress of the project.
Silica City, Guyana’s first smart urban centre, is intended to be a smart city powered by renewable energy and developed with the Administration’s revised Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Goal 11 speaks to building sustainable cities and communities. Silica City will initially cater to just over 3000 households in the first five years, and eventually grow to house more than 12,500 households when completed.
Back in January, preliminary works at Silica City had commenced, paving the way for the construction of the first 100 homes. The first phase of the project will see an initial 400 young professional homes being constructed. It was previously reported that the Housing Ministry had already begun shortlisting persons for these homes.
