THE government, through the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA), is now inviting bids for the construction of a four-lane road from Mandela Avenue in Georgetown to Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The access road will be a 2.8-kilometer carriageway with 12 bridges along the corridor.
“We are expecting to commence work after the evaluation is completed, post-budget approval; we are expecting works to commence in April 2021, we have tendered contracts in six lots, this will allow a spread of quick implementation,” Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal told the Sunday Chronicle.
The tender was made public following the recent visit to the site by President Dr. Irfan Ali. The road will provide a link from the road that is being constructed at Diamond Housing scheme to Eccles, EBD, which has a large housing area and an industrial site. President Ali has said he wants the project completed by the end of the year.
The construction of the road from Eccles to Mandela Avenue will be allocated in six lots and contracts will be awarded to the lowest evaluated qualified bidder and only one lot will be awarded to a bidder. If one bidder is adjudged the lowest qualified bidder for more than one lot, the Evaluation Committee will recommend which lot the bidder is recommended for. The delivery/construction period for the project is 210 days per lot. Bids are open until February 25, 2021.
Minister Croal said the portion from Diamond to Mocha should be completed by the end of February 2021 and will be commissioned by President Ali.
“The projects show the capacity of the CHPA, along with its technical team and we have a number of exercises along with the communities with the construction of the roads and upgrades in housing areas as part of our housing development,” Minister Croal said.
Noting that huge opportunities will be created with the opening of housing areas, Minister Croal commended the President for leading the effort in developing the housing drive for the benefit of all Guyanese.
Meanwhile, President Ali, whose Ph.D. is in urban and regional planning, had noted that this is all a part of the government’s drive to transform Guyana’s infrastructure and link communities, while taking into consideration the security for these newly expanded road networks.
“This is part of the infrastructure transformation and integration of communities. Because, now Diamond, Prospect, Eccles, Herstelling, Grove, [Covent] Garden, Mocha, all these communities will be integrated,” the President had explained.