Minister Edghill Commissions Hunter Street

Minister of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill, today commissioned the new and improved Hunter Street which was formerly a two-lane road and is now reopened as a three-lane road.

While delivering the feature address, Minister Edghill noted that the project was completed in two phases. Phase One, which was completed by Surrey Paving & Aggregates Company Limited & Ideal Engineering Services Inc. embodied geometric improvement to Hunter Street.

These works were completed to the tune of $77,058,848 out of $86,685,125. The contract commenced on June 10, 2019 and the site was handed over August, 2020.

The project scope of the first phase entailed the construction of a reinforced concrete sidewalk on top of a reinforced concrete drain on the eastern side of the roadway, with a length of approximately 100 m between Front Road and Daisy Street and likewise between Water Lilly Street and Mandela Avenue.

The width of the sidewalks is 1.2 m. The sidewalks were fitted with concrete inlet drains, which aids in the draining of the access road; the drains were installed with covers, to cater for the cleaning of the drains.

The sidewalks were constructed approximately two (2) meters from the road edge where space permits; this ensures pedestrians feel safer, and thus reduces the possibility of pedestrian accidents and also allows for the enhanced aesthetics of the area.

On the western side of Hunter Street, a 3.1 m wide by 2.4 m deep Reinforced Concrete drain was constructed where there was an earthen trench.

To facilitate the widening of Hunter Street in Phase II, there was the placement and compaction of white sand from the road edge to the edge of the drain wall and the extension of three (3) culverts that drain the West Ruimveldt area.

Meanwhile, Phase Two of the project was completed by Vieira 66 Logistics at the tune of  $99,421,206.  The contract commenced December 10, 2020 and the site was handed over May 10, 2021.

The project scope entailed the construction of a 1.5 m paver block walkway with a length of 108m between Daisy Street and Water Lilly Street.

The walkway was fitted with concrete inlet drains, which aids in the draining of the access road.

The sidewalks were constructed approximately three (3) meters from the road edge where space permits; this ensures pedestrians   (especially school children) feel safer, and thus reduces the possibility of pedestrian accidents. It also allows for the enhanced aesthetics of the area.

There were some remedial works undertaken; raising the eastern Reinforced Concrete drain wall to the prescribed elevation, sealing of weep holes to prohibit the entry water into the road pavement, the removal of contaminated white sand and repairs to two (2) of the previously extended culverts crossing  Hunter  Street.

Additionally, another culvert was extended and linked with the western Reinforced Concrete drain whilst the ancient wooden box culvert linking the western Reinforced Concrete drain to the Front Road Canal was reconstructed into a double HDPE Pipe Culvert.

Following the remedials works were the placement and compaction of white sand, white sand/sand clay, crusher run and asphaltic concrete and the installation of speed bumps.

Apart from several delays due to substandard works by the previous contractors, further modifications of the scope of works also resulted in the delay.

Minister Edghill promised to have the street fully lit with street lights and to also repair the street that was used as a detour while this project was ongoing within the upcoming week by the Ministry’s Force Account Unit.
The project will help ease major traffic congestions experienced on a daily basis. The Traffic Department of Guyana along with residents of the community were also present at this momentous event.