Works Min assures that $300M road upgrade in Kwakwani will target priority areas

The $300M in road works slated for the community of Kwakwani, Region 10 will commence soon according to the assurance given to resident. However, they were informed that priority will be given to areas that have schools, hospitals and where there is heavy traffic of people.

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, during a recent visit to the community, disclosed that a team of engineers was already on the ground and will return to finalise which roads will be rehabilitated under the budgeted sum. “The priority that we have are the roads that are heavily used by the majority of people. For example, everybody has to go to the hospital, so the roads in the hospital must be fixed in this go around. The secondary school and primary school are hundreds of children daily and their parents have to go those schools. So, we need to make those roads a matter of priority,” Edghill said.

The minister revealed that roads that cannot be rehabilitated with asphaltic concrete, will be upgraded to a crusher run level. He said that project engineers on the ground were asked to ensure measurements for roads selected for rehabilitation be made available by Monday, June 6, 2022. Edghill stressed that this multi-million-dollar investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to improve the lives of all Guyanese. Minister Edhill posited.

“This is historic, the PPP/C Government in a community where they did not win is spending more money in that community than the government that won the last election spent in the community where they got the vote from,” Minister Edghill argued. He continued, “That is a clear case to show how our politics takes place, we are not looking at where the votes coming, we are looking at what needs to be done. If you add up, all of the APNU did for five years when they were in government, it did not make $300M. And in one year, the PPP is spending $300M.” 

Edghill stressed that the massive investment in community roads and the decision to make some roads a priority was welcomed by residents. “We are happy as a community and it is the first time that such a large sum of money has been allocated for Kwakwani in terms of internal roads,” Paris Archer, Councilor of the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council said.

Meanwhile, Vice- Chairman of the NDC, Cort Simeon also shared similar sentiments. “Even before that was mentioned here by the minister, we as a council, when we heard about it that is some of the position we had taken to look after the areas that are more needed like the school area and hospital area,” Simeon noted. Additionally, Government will invest $1.3B in infrastructural development between Linden and Kwakwani. Edghill added that the allocation is the largest the communities have received in a single year to date.