Massive vehicle imports force EBD highway expansion – Benn

Transport and Hydraulics Minister Robeson Benn has said that pressure on the transportation system, coming from the huge volume of vehicles imported each year, continues to plague commuters, and has inspired government to expand the crucial East Bank Demerara road network.

Consequently, the East Bank Demerara four-lane highway will be expanded from Providence to the Diamond New Scheme Junction through a loan provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). 

“In the last 20 years, new vehicle registrations have increased five-fold. We are recording about 10,000 new vehicle registrations per year,” Minister Benn highlighted.

The transport minister said that the eight-kilometre expanded highway project will include the widening of 16 culverts and bridges in a manner that will ensure continued drainage in accordance with climate change concerns. 

According to Benn, the Traffic Safety Engineering Department will also be involved in the project, to add sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, road markings, and other features to the road. 

“We at the ministry continue to work with the Ministry of Finance and the IDB to iron out the issues and find cost-effective solutions towards ensuring we have the type of physical infrastructure to propel the transport sector forward,” Benn said in an invited comment. 

He pointed out that although there has been significant improvement to the road network, the continued establishment of new housing schemes along the west and east banks of Demerara is already contributing to the traffic congestion on the new highway. According to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), over 32,000 cars were registered for the first quarter of 2010; and as of March 2009, there were 81,473 legally registered vehicles on the country’s roads. 

Last week, Guyana and the IDB signed the US$20 million loan agreement for the project, which will see Guyana doubling the capacity of the East Bank Demerara road to facilitate safer access for pedestrians. The bank had said that the funds will finance the programme that seeks to enhance urban and suburban mobility and safety, lower transport costs, and reduce accident rates along the East Bank Demerara main road up to Diamond. 

In recent years, the number of vehicles using Guyana’s roads has increased steadily. This, combined with the construction of new residential developments on the outskirts of Georgetown, has contributed to congestion along the East Bank Demerara road. The congestion and a lack of road safety features have led to frequent traffic accidents. 

The project aims to improve these conditions by expanding the East Bank Demerara road between Providence and Diamond from two to four lanes; and by providing parking lanes, bus stops, crossings for pedestrians, and bicycle lanes that will increase safety and reduce disruption to traffic flow. These investments are expected to improve conditions for driving and access for vehicles and pedestrians along one of the busiest stretches of Guyana’s main road network. 

Within five years, the project is expected to yield a 15 per cent reduction in travel time by car on the improved road section, as well as a 5km extension of the road network that is in good condition. It is also anticipated that the project would result in a 10 per cent reduction in the rate of crashes and resultant deaths, and a 10 per cent reduction in travel time of passengers that use public transportation in the project area. The IDB loan consists of US$10 million from the bank’s Ordinary Capital with a 30-year term, a six-year grace period and interest rate based on LIBOR; and US$10 million from the Fund for Special Operations with a 40-year term, a 40-year grace period, and a 0.25 per cent interest rate.