Despite the ongoing nature of the major East Coast Demerara Road Widening and Improvement Project, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is already turning its eyes to other infrastructure projects on the significant corridor, including pedestrian overpasses, further expansion from Belfield to Annandale and the Ogle to Diamond bypass road.
This was revealed by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during a live Facebook video shared this afternoon on the ministry’s page.
He was at the time providing updates on the status of the ECD Road Project, which is currently 55 percent completed.
According to the Minister, the ministry has already put in a request for funding to the Ministry of Finance for studies to move the project beyond Belfield – its current end – all the way up to Rosignol.
“The idea is that we want to widen and straighten out and it requires a full study,” Patterson said. He continued, “Hopefully, it will be granted and approved in 2019 and hopefully sometime next year we go out to tender…we don’t want anyone to think that we’re just stopping up to Belfield.”
The Minister also shared that there are plans to have the East Coast Railway Embankment road similarly expanded to cope with the projected future demands.
Furthermore, Patterson made mention of the long discussed bypass road from Ogle, East Coast Demerara to Diamond on the East Bank. It was shared that the Ministry has already received the feasibility report and is expecting a draft final design by the February 15, 2019. One month later, on March 15, 2019, the final design report is expected and then the Ministry will start with the expression of interest process.
“We’re anticipating to have a contract signed in 2019 and have a contractor mobilised in 2019 as well,” Senior Engineer, Nigel Erskine, also said.
Meanwhile, pedestrian overpasses – as seen on the East Bank – are also being looked at for East Coast at the Mon Repos market and by the Apex Private School in Montrose, Patterson said. Furthermore, road works will also be ongoing within villages, Patterson added, and he encouraged residents to be patient since projects will be rolled out in batches.
