Georgetown: A whopping $76.7 billion has been budgeted in the 2022 National Budget to improve roads and bridges countrywide. Senior Minister in the Office of the President Dr. Ashni Singh made the announcement as read the National Budget in the National Assembly.
Minister Singh said of that amount, $49.2 billion will go towards roads and $27.5 towards bridges. This investment represents a massive increase from the $25.6 billion allocated in the 2021 budget for roads and bridges which saw $23.7 billion for roads and $1.9 billion for bridges.
“Key allocations include provisions of: $8.3 billion for the rehabilitation of the Corentyne Main Road from Palmyra to Crabwood Creek; $6 billion for the construction of the Linden-Mabura Hill Road; $3.4 billion for hinterland roads; $2.6 billion for the rehabilitation of the entire Soesdyke-Linden Highway; $2.3 billion for the East Bank-East Coast Demerara Road Linkage between Ogle and Eccles” the Minister stated.
He said $1.1 billion has been budgeted to complete the Sheriff Street/Mandela Road Network and Expansion Project, while $15.2 billion is being proposed for the construction and rehabilitation of additional urban and community roads.
Added to that, Minister Singh said the construction of the four-lane Ogle to Haags Bosch road will also commence shortly.
“Further, works will also commence to widen and pave the East Bank highway from Grove to Timehri for which $2.1 billion is allocated in 2022,” the finance minister announced.
The minister also noted that preparatory work has also been initiated in the widening of the East Coast highway from Annandale to Mahaica, the upgrade of the railway embankment from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau, and the construction of the new four-lane superhighway from Schoonard to Parika.
In relation to bridges, government is forging ahead with the construction of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge. A significant amount of $21.1 billion has been budgeted to advance construction of the fixed four-lane high span bridge. In November 2021, Cabinet granted its ‘no objection’ to China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) to construct the bridge.
Added to that, Minister Singh said $946 million has been budgeted to rehabilitate and maintain the existing floating bridge across the Demerara River.
To facilitate the construction of the road network from Linden to Lethem, $4.1 billion is allocated for the re-construction of 32 bridges along the Kurupukari to Lethem corridor.
Additionally, $173.9 million is budgeted for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of bridges in Garden of Eden, Chateau Margot, Beterverwagting, and Cemetery Road.
Budget 2022 was read under the theme “Steadfast against all challenges; resolute in building our one Guyana.”
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