“We have a well-articulated vision and plan for this country”

– President Ali said
– Signed $161 million contract for reconstruction of Soesdyke-Linden highway

President Irfaan Ali stressed that his government has a new, well thought out and carefully articulated plan for Guyana, saying the reconstruction of the Sosdyke-Linden Highway is part of a wider investment aimed at transforming the country.
The head of state made the remarks on Wednesday at the signing of the agreement and the laying of the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden motorway.
The long-awaited $161 million contract will be implemented by a joint venture between Namalco Construction Services Limited of Trinidad and Tobago and GuyAmerica Construction Inc. of Guyana.
The reconstruction project will be supervised by Kuwaiti company AlHabshi Engineering Consultants, with a total investment of US$1.775 million. It is also the first project in Guyana to receive funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

In a special address at the ceremony, President Ali said the investment in this reconstruction is part of a broader plan to transform the country and create opportunities while rebuilding and expanding the economy.
“The highway is vital not only because it connects Districts 4 and 10, but more importantly it is one of the arterial roads that supports the development of inland communities and the wider region,” he said.
Dr Ali said the highway, linked to other key infrastructure, would expand the country’s production capacity while broadening land supply and opening up new areas for a multifaceted investment portfolio.
He stressed the importance of the thoroughfare and said the upgrade would support the transformation of the town of Linden into a major industrial hub supporting the mining industry, as well as being a significant machinery centre, in addition to opening up land for agriculture, tourism and even housing development all the way to Bartica.
“As you can see, this is a well-thought-out articulation, a well-thought-out plan, a well-thought-out vision that is being implemented across the country. This is not speculation. This is not a haphazard plan. This is a well-thought-out, well-designed strategy that will make Guyana number one,” he said.
In this context, he said that at the end of this Government’s term, Guyana’s economy will be the most advanced, diversified and integrated, and its urban and regional planning will be the best in the Western Hemisphere.
However, President Ali put the focus back on the upgrading projects, saying that in implementing the projects, contractors were implored to employ people from the communities where the projects were to be implemented.
Therefore, he said, for this project, the contractor is looking for about 300 people to be employed in various capacities during the two years of the project implementation.
“We hope that people in the Linden area and on the Southdyke-Linden Highway will take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill briefed citizens on the project, saying it is government policy to ensure that when projects are being implemented, contractors meet with community members so that community residents can monitor them.
While reiterating that this is the first development project financed by the Islamic Development Bank in the region, the Minister said that this progress was made possible thanks to the leadership and proactive actions of the President and the Minister of Finance, who worked day and night to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
Edgehill went on to say that the project will see the construction of two roundabouts, one at the Soesdyke-Linden junction and the other in the Millie’s Hideout area, which he said would ensure a smooth transition of traffic in all directions.
Besides, he said that after the highway is rehabilitated, more than 2,900 street lights will be installed along the entire highway and pedestrian overpasses will also be built next to all the bridges that are expected to be constructed.
The Public Works Minister disclosed that parking areas will be constructed along the 73-kilometre stretch to prevent accidents caused by vehicles parked along the highway, besides designated rest areas will be set up along the stretch.
The project is also working to improve drainage throughout the highway to prevent flooding that has occurred in the past, while the roadbed and pavement will also be improved to accommodate the new load capacities on the highway.
Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Deodat Indar added that 10 bridges and five other structures will be constructed along the route as part of the reconstruction.
He noted that the signing of the contract and the groundbreaking ceremony are proof that Government has been delivering on the commitments that have been made, further adding that there are signs of economic development across Guyana.