Georgetown: The Ministry of Public Works over the weekend inked a US $46,789,000 contract with several contractors for varying aspects of a major road improvement project, paving the way for a colossal transformation of the West Coast Highway.
Stretching from Vreed-en-Hoop to as far west as Hydronie (approximately 30.7km), the road network’s upgrade will cater for pavement rehabilitation, road widening, separation lanes for cyclists and pedestrians, installation of traffic signs, traffic lights and road markings, replacement of the Groenveldt bridge, relocation of utilities and general repairs.
The money, which was approved in the 2014 Budget, is provided primarily through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Guyana.
The project not only deals with physical road works; in fact the versatility of the contracts awarded allows for money to be spent on educating the general public on road safety awareness. The project consists of six components.
This will be carried out by TRL Limited at a cost of £252,107. This component focuses primarily on road safety education in schools and will be implemented over a two-year period. It aims to raise awareness of road safety education, establish it in the school curriculum, and build teachers’ capacity in the subject among others.
This is another key component, targeting minibus drivers in particular, and the general public and seeks to deliver a driver’s education course and provide road safety education in the communities served by this road network.
This component will be carried out by GeoTech Vision Guyana Inc., at a cost of US$86,500 over two years, and aims to, among other things, revise the Guyana National Road Safety Council’s course to ensure consistency with best practices, and review the content of the Guyana Police Force’s new drivers’ education course and make recommendations for improvement.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) focuses on developing a comprehensive results-based M&E system for this project. This will facilitate the project’s system becoming transferrable to projects of similar nature to be undertaken. MMM Group is tasked with communicating informative and summative evaluations of this project to the Ministry of Public Works under this component. The contract is valued US$75,875.
In order to ensure work is being executed, Road Works Supervision is catered for. SRKN’gineering, in association with BBFL Caribbean Limited is tasked with managing the day to day operation of this component on behalf of the Ministry of Public Works, and to ensure the tasks are executed in accordance with the contract specifications.
A 36- month long Road Works component will be carried out through a collaborative effort between Surrey Paving & Aggregate Company Ltd., and BK International Inc. Surrey Paving & Aggregate Company Ltd is a Jamaican company, and was only awarded the contract after immense scrutiny by the Ministry of Public Works and the CDB. The company also boasts an ISO 9000 certification for quality. Both parties expressed delight with the association.
There is as well a Public Relations aspect of this massive project; however the contract for this has not yet been awarded.
Following the signing of the contracts today at the Ministry of Public works, Kingston, Leslie Chang, Managing Director of Surrey Paving noted that, “We are very pleased to have formed this joint venture with BK International and it’s an association we’re very optimistic about, and we hope to continue beyond this particular contract.”
Brian Tiwarie, Chief Executive Officer of BK International, echoed Chang’s, commitment to making this joint venture work. “We want to guarantee you that this joint venture will go through.”
Surrey Paving & Aggregate Company Ltd brings to the table for Guyana international impetus and outlook, Projects Director, Michael Archer took time to point out.
“Guyana has an economy that, like Jamaica, is striving to extend and improve the development. We see a lot of opportunities here, we bring a significant amount of experience and we are a Caribbean people, a Caribbean company, we have a regional outlook.”
Surrey Paving & Aggregate Company Ltd has done similar projects in Trinidad, Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Vincent, and in all instances forged alliances with local contractors.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn pointed out that this project is a major step forward with regards to the development of public infrastructure in Guyana. He noted that the constant improvement of the road infrastructure has been a primary focus of this government.
“The Government of Guyana, during the time of the PPP/C has been constantly working to improve our public road network and infrastructure.” He urged that continued focus be kept on the prime objectives in terms of national development. Minister Benn also expressed his enthusiasm for the alliance between the two contracting companies, “I think the partnership, the facilitation, the synergising of expertise is important for our region and important for Guyana.”
The development of all road infrastructure will assist in Guyana’s products and services becoming export driven, he noted. “We want to have an efficient system which delivers Guyana’s products, Guyana’s exports, Guyana’s economic activities, and these activities can only become more efficient if the transport infrastructure is constantly and continuously improved.”
The objective of this project is to increase efficiency and safety of road transportation along the West Coast Demerara. The Government of Guyana has been constantly working to improve the country’s public road network infrastructure, with the aim to bring it to a level to efficiently facilitate the development of the country.
It is in this line that roads were done in West Coast Berbice, East Berbice stretching to Moleson Creek, and current upgrade projects such as the East Bank Demerara Four Lane Highway expansion, and road fills in preparation for the upgrade of East Coast Demerara road. Under government’s radar immediately are the West Bank Demerara roads.
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