Min Edghill assures that funds being finalised to resurface Soesdyke-Linden Highway

Government is finalising the funds to extensively resurface the 72-kilometre-long Soesdyke-Linden Highway according to Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill. The announcement was made by Edghill during the recent Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) consultation in Region Ten.

The minister disclosed that the administration is awaiting the approval of over $24B (US $120M) from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, during an outreach to Region Ten, noted that the administration was hoping the money would be approved in June, to commence the rehabilitation project. “We are hoping that it would be approved at the board meeting in June of this year, so we can start reconstructing that highway before the end of the year,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

He added, “That is what we are hoping to do, to pave the highway from the junction all the way into Linden.  The highway is in a horrible state, it is in a bad state coming up here.”  The Vice President said that the upgrade to the highway is part of several key plans which the government has outlined for Region Ten.

Dr. Jagdeo revealed that the public works ministry will also be upgrading a number of thoroughfares in several communities within the region, valued over $600M. he noted that the interventions are as a result of representations made by residents during his recent outreach. It was revealed that the tendering process for the projects will commence shortly, after which works will commence.

Additionally, the ministry is finalising the programme for sub-district two – Kwakwani, Hururu and Landersville and sub-district one – Wismar and Mackenzie, as well as the road to Muritaro and Malali, among others. Edghill declared that the minimum sum that has to be spent on the internal roads in Kwakwani is $200M. The work will be done as part of the ministry’s 2022 hinterland work programme.

The minister added that the sum of $76.7B was budgeted in the national budget to improve roads and bridges countrywide in 2022.