Twelve contractors have inked contracts to the tune of $13.3 billion for the commencement of construction for the Eccles to Great Diamond four-lane highway.
The contracts were signed during a simple ceremony earlier today at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in the presence of Housing and Water Minister, the Hon. Collin Croal, Minister within the Ministry, the Hon. Susan Rodrigues, Permanent Secretary, Mr. Andre Ally, Central Housing and Planning Authority’s, Director of Operations, Mrs. Denise King-Tudor and Director of Projects, Mr. Omar Narine.
Works will be executed by; GuyAmerica Construction Inc, V. Dalip Enterprise, (JV) Colin Talbot Contracting Services and Eron Lall Civil Engineering Works, S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc., H. Nauth and Sons, JS Guyana Inc., (JV) VALs Construction and AJM Enterprise, China Railway First Group Company Ltd., Aronco Services Inc., Ivor Allen, (JV) Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. and Khemraj Nauth Contracting Services.
The project which has been divided into twelve (12) lots includes, the construction of more than thirty (30) reinforced concrete bridges, two roundabouts and a total of 9.4 Km of reinforced concrete road. The estimated timeline for the project is 15 to 18 months.
On the occasion Minister Rodrigues in her remarks applauded the team of the Ministry of Housing and Water-Central Housing and Planning Authority for their part in realizing such a project.
Given the history of the project, Minister Rodrigues pointed out that the project was conceptualized by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in 2010 during his stint as Minister of Housing and Water.
“Years later, this project is being executed by the Ministry’s Project Department, which shows that the capacity was also there given the fact that the foundation for this project was set years ago” she added.
Speaking to the magnitude of the project, the Minister noted that it’s not only about the cost but the focus should be on how such a project will transform the lives of thousands of Guyanese.
“What we doing here is not just signing $13 billion in contractors but transforming the lives of our citizens,” Minister Rodrigues said.
Mention was also made of the importance of parallel infrastructure development and the establishment of new housing schemes.
“On Monday we commissioned the Eccles to Diamond inter-link road and the impact is already evident, as commute time on the East Bank has been reduced significantly and that is just a smaller project so it’s easy to see how this new project will impact the lives of our citizens”.
Meanwhile, in his charge to the contractors, Minister Croal called on them to place emphasis on timeliness and quality.
“I want to implore you to be innovative and strategic in your approach, time is of essence…since you are using the local labour force, be sure to impress on them the importance of punctuality, avoid absenteeism and other unnecessary delays.”
He also reminded the contractors of the importance of workers’ safety and the need for adequate protective gear.
“To skimp on these can be to the detriment of the project and the welfare of your workers, be sure to cultivate a working relationship with the residents and communicate any inconveniences that may occur as a result of the work you are doing in a timely and respectful manner.”
In closing Minister Croal noted the Ministry’s and by extension the Government’s commitment to bringing relief to the residents within the catchment areas in the shortest time possible.
“Should you adhere to these guidelines, I’m confident that you will have a successful project and the communities and citizens will be better off,” the Minister reiterated.