…will improve traffic flow- MoPI
A roundabout will be constructed at the Kitty Sea Wall where the sinkholes occurred to create a smoother flow of traffic. (A roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel counterclockwise around a center island).
This is according to Geoffrey Vaughn, Coordinator of the Works Services Group, Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) who told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that this will enable drivers to travel to their desired designation with ease and reduce the amount of traffic travelling on the East Coast, Carifesta Avenue or Kitty area.
Vaughn explained that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has already sent out tenders for those works and, “we’re in the evaluation stage, the evaluation should have gone over to NPTAB (National Procurement and Tender Administration Board) yesterday for finalisation, which would then go to Cabinet for its no objection.”
However, works on the sinkhole is expected to begin within the next two weeks after no objection from Cabinet, NPTAB and the requisite bodies.
Additionally, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, he said, is currently awaiting reviews from consultancies before works begin on the East Coast Demerara expansion project.
“We’ve already written the consultants, they’re on board already but we have a few conditioning precedents that need to be met by the contractor such as providing us with the bonds and necessary instruments before we have a contract commenced,” Vaughn explained.
The Works Services Group Coordinator noted that to date preliminary works including the widening of the road and removal of utilities have been completed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
The contract for the East Coast Demerara expansion project was awarded to China Railway First Group Limited last year November to complete the project between Better Hope and Belfield on the East Coast of Demerara, works will begin next month.
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson in his 2017 budget presentation said that after considerable delays, the framework agreement with the People’s Republic of China for the US$45.5M concessional loan for the completion of the widening and improvement of the highway had been signed.
