President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday inspected ongoing infrastructure works at Buzz Bee Dam, East Bank Demerara, where a new four-lane highway is being built to Land of Canaan.
Once completed, the road will be another installment of works to be done to create an alternate road to Soesdyke and will also link the East Coast Demerara with the East Bank Demerara
He underscored the scale of engineering and planning underway to support rapid urban expansion and improve national connectivity.
According to the President, the four-lane highway will connect the Mandela–Eccles corridor, the Heroes Highway and the future Ogle Highway through a large roundabout at Buzz Bee Dam, creating what will effectively be a third four-lane highway along the East Bank.
“So, as development unfolds and all the lands continue to be developed, we have already cut out the third four-lane highway along the East Bank, that will now connect the East Coast with the East Bank, with Soesdyke, with Timehri. So, this alignment, goes back and interconnect with the Ogle Highway,” the President said.
The President noted the scale of preparatory works required to construct the roadway, pointing out that contractors had to excavate up to five to six feet of swamp material in some areas before meticulously rebuilding the foundation. He said to get the road works and project completed on time; 8 lots are being done simultaneously.
“We have 8 lots, works would have commenced on all 8 lots now and this is lot and we are about 33% of lot 1 and we are at 57% on lot 7 which is the most advanced lot,” the President noted.
Further, the President noted that the highway is being designed to interconnect with the Linden–Soesdyke Highway, extend towards Timehri, link to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and support the development of the new Silica City.
“So, this highway will connect us directly to Georgetown from Mandela, it will be interconnected with the Aubrey Barker Road and then interconnected with the Ogle four-lane highway going to the East Coast and connected to the additional four-lane highway going to the old railway embankment on the coast and then interconnected with Heroes highway and with the old East Bank highway,” the President noted.
Plans are also underway to integrate transmission lines and drainage infrastructure for the project and the new communities being developed.
