In accordance with President David Granger’s push for a ‘Green Agenda’ for Guyana, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and its sister agencies have commenced works to ensure that the concept is realised.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the Ministry will replace thousands of sodium-vapour lamps (commonly known as orange street lamps) with the more efficient LED lamps.
“The Government has received a grant from the Japanese Government of 10,000 LED lamps and the first 1000 lamps have arrived and we will commence the installation of these lamps shortly”, Minister Ferguson said.
Sodium-vapour lamps have long been popular lighting options for roadways. However, LED’s are more economically efficient and also assist in a sizeable reduction of carbon footprints.
Guyana’s Green Agenda is a vision of President David Granger aimed at ensuring that the country is built on environmental sustainability while balancing its economic development. The Government will continue to seek opportunities that will see Guyana becoming a Green State where all citizens can reap the benefits.
Since the Government took office in 2015, several communities along the Essequibo Coast and the Corentyne have been outfitted with street lamps for the first time.
DPI Report
Over the past week, the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department has been on a campaign that has seen some 45 persons being charged for avoiding the use of the newly constructed overpasses. The charge instituted against the people was that they failed to use the overpasses recently built across the East Bank Public Road. Many pedestrians traversing the East Bank Public Road have no idea that not using the overpasses constitutes a charge, and as such, a great many of them learnt the hard way in the past week. Persons who have been found not using the overpasses have been arrested, made aware of the offence committed and placed on $5,000 station bail. On Thursday morning, there was an overflow of individuals at the Providence Police Station. They would have been arrested and were being processed for charges in relation to the offence of Crossing. Many of these individuals claimed ignorance of the laws. When the Traffic Corporal was asked about the police decision to charge persons before a rigorous sensitization campaign, this publication was informed that the police have been stopping and warning individuals of the unsafe practice of Crossing on the roads where overpasses have been created for their safety. This publication has since learnt that most of the individuals who were charged, were reprimanded and had their cases discharged, but the inconvenience created has left a bad taste with them.
Kaieteur News report
The National Assembly on Friday evening approved $346,500,000 for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to purchase and install two additional boarding bridges at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Currently, there are two boarding bridges installed at the airport. Subject Minister David Patterson said the requested sum is part of a new contract and not the US$138M contract originally entered into with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). Some sections of the refurbished airport are already in use while the new arrival terminal will be opened next month.
However, Opposition Member Juan Edghill questioned the amount of boarding bridges catered for in the original design. He said as far as he is aware of the number eight but Patterson said the contract did not speak specifically to eight boarding bridges. “I have spoken on this extensively that we would always have four air bridges on completion that is since we took over. The contract had two and I always said four,” Patterson stressed.
“In fact, he said, the CHEC contract makes no provision for boarding bridges (air bridges). Patterson has since committed to laying out to the House the initial and new contracts for the CJIA expansion project.
Guyana Chronicle report.
The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has collaborated with the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI) to monitor electrical items being imported into the country. This follows the approval of several technical regulatory standards in the Electricity Sector.
The regulations developed by the GNBS Civil Engineering Committee includes safety measures for armoured cable, panel boards, knife switches, conduits, tubing and cable fittings among others.
Director of the GNBS, Candelle Walcott-Bostwick said a total of ten standards have already been approved by the agency. Twenty additional regulations are expected to be developed to further monitor the sector.
“This will be a boost to our electrical sector, and electricians will have better quality products to use when they are doing their work.”
Walcott-Bostwick explained that the development of the standards is aimed at the reduction of fire-related incidents due to faulty electrical fittings. She encourages electricians and importers to consult with the agency for the specifications required for electrical items when importing.
“When these standards are enforced, products not conforming to the standards will not be accepted on the local market,” Walcott-Bostwick emphasised.
In 2017, Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle reported a 30 percent decline in fire calls countrywide. The Fire Chief said a further reduction is expected this year.
DPI Report.
In less than three weeks, the Kitty roundabout will be officially opened to motorists. The project which is approximately 98 percent complete, is in its final stage with road markings and installation of signs ongoing. Infrastructure, Design Engineer, Imran Baksh explained that the previous intersection was transformed to a roundabout because there will be fewer collision points, while traffic delays will significantly reduce.
“It [roundabout] also allows for reduced delays, since you would not have to stop at the intersection. It reduces travel time and fuel consumption and importantly reduces the severity of collisions,” Baksh explained.
The previous intersection was a “channelled and signalised” main access route into Georgetown. It also consisted of six legs; Kitty Public Road, Vlissingen Road, JB Chandisingh Street, Carifesta Avenue, Sea Wall road and Rupert Craig Highway.
According to Baksh, the current intersection at the roundabout has three stages of movements and five stages of signalisation.
In the first stage, vehicles turning right from Carifesta Avenue are allowed to and vehicles heading west along the Kitty Public road have to yield before making a right turn. In the second stage vehicles that were previously turning right from Carifesta Avenue onto Vlissengen road will now stop and allow vehicles to go to Kitty Public road.
In the final stage, vehicles heading north along JB Chandisingh street and turning onto Rupert Craig Highway will now be allowed to; as a consequence, vehicles heading west-bound and east-bound will be required to stop.
The roundabout was also the best option for the intersection since an analysis has determined that there are now 30 seconds delays as opposed to the previous 80 seconds.
The analysis also recommended the traffic signals be installed west-bound to Kitty Public Road and north-bound to JB Chandisingh Street. The lights will only be utilised during peak hours.
Use of roundabout
Design Engineer, Jorge Clinton outlined that the following tips when using the roundabout:
Additionally, there are two bypass lanes from the Kitty Public Road to Vlissengen Road and from JB Chandisingh Road to Carifesta Avenue. There will be no entry to the Seawall Road which has a wide opening for large trucks.
Senior Engineer, Sherod Parkinson urged motorists to practice the ‘five-Cs’ – Care, Caution, Consideration, Courtesy and Commonsense, when using the roundabout.
He said “they are far more important when using the roundabout. We have to be careful, considerate and cautious, looking out for other drivers and use the roundabout in a manner that would allow for everybody to get out safely.”
The roundabout is partially opened to traffic and is expected to be fully opened by Independence Day.
At the intersection, there is a circle with an inscribed diameter of 60 metres, a circulatory lane of 11 metres and a truck apron of 2 metres.
Earlier in the year, a $78.9M contract was awarded to S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services for works on the roundabout.
ONCE testing goes according to plan, access to the upgraded Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) could commence with the official opening of the facilities new departure check-in area.
Senior airport officials told the Guyana Chronicle that testing of the airport’s check-in facility commenced Thursday to ascertain the operational readiness of the facility. “We are currently doing tests on one airline to see if the facility, all the workers, electronics and everything is functioning. And if all goes well, it could be opened by this weekend,” the official said.
Word is that more than 10 check-in desks could be open by the end of the week, and all features associated with this area will be available. Numerous Caribbean Airlines passengers have had the privilege of being the first to depart from the airport’s new and improved facility, after the carrier made good on a promise last week to be the first to operate from the new-look departure lounge.
A parliamentary tour hosted by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson was held last Friday, where senior government personnel and other officials were taken around the new facility as construction work is winding down for the airport’s grand year-end opening. The new-look CJIA airport takes into consideration additional space for aircraft parking, longer runway for takeoff and landing given the appeal for larger commercial liners in particular to land here. The facility caters for easier flight access with its two passenger boarding bridges, and larger passenger arrival and departure capacity, among other features, all in time to support the increased air traffic expected from the emerging oil-and-gas sector and the commerce that will accompany this new industry.
It was announced that while the multi-million-dollar airport expansion project is slated for completion by December 2018, sections of the facility that are done will be handed over by the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), to the CJIA management in phases.
Those sections include the modernised departure lounge, which is currently being tested; escalators and baggage carousels that are already up and running; and elevator installations that are expected to be completed soon. It is expected that by June, users of the CJIA will be able to access the new arrival terminal, while the fire and pump stations are expected to be completed and handed over the to the CJIA management around the same time.
Minister Patterson said during the tour of the facility that sections of the CJIA would be used as phases were completed and handed over. He said the roof of the airport and the fencing are still in the works.
MOPI NEWS | On Friday, May 4, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, conducted an assessment of the Queenstown High Bridge in Essequibo. According to Bridges and Roads Engineer, Philip Amos, the 99ft bridge which has been in need of repairs for years is crucial to the transportation of lumber and agricultural produce etc. in the region.
Fitzroy Fredericks, President of the Queenstown Development Association who organised the visit, said that the bridge has been neglected by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the former government for years. Fredricks explained that the bridge is a conduit for persons travelling to Bartica and parts of North West, Buckhall Supernaam Creek, Capoey, Lake Mainstay and Charity.
Bridges similar to the Queenstown High Bridge (QBH) located in Onderneeming, Annandale, Redlock and Capoey are all in good condition. The residents reported to Minister Ferguson that the leadership of the RDC has continually neglected the maintenance of the QHB, year after year, without any explanation given. The residents are calling on the RDC to replace the wooden structured bridge with a concrete structure.
Minister Ferguson told the residents that she will speak with Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder since the bridge falls under his ministry’s responsibility, as well as the RDC, to enable a collaborative agreement to have the bridge fixed.
Accompanying Minister Ferguson on the visit was Mohamad Juma, MOPI River and Sea Defence Engineer, and Philip Amos, Regional Bridges and Roads Engineer along with several community-spirited persons.
Reported by Andrew Weekes
Communications Officer- MOP
According to Resident Engineer, Joel Tucker, the $1.2B rehabilitation project will see the installation of street lights beginning at Stanleytown and concluding at Everton Village. “The street lights should be installed very early this month and will see a significant improvement in terms of the lighting of the embankment even before it is completed.”
He explained that poles have already been installed and teams from the GWI, GPL and GTT are currently on the ground ensuring relocation of utilities.
The project to upgrade five kilometres of the roadway from Overwinning to Everton, officially began December 2017. To date, 2.5 kilometres of that stretch of roadway has been completed.
Minister Ferguson commended the team for works completed thus far, noting that 75 percent of the workforce on the project are residents from neighbouring communities. Minister Ferguson also highlighted some other aspects of the project, “we will also be doing two culverts and three concretes reinforced bridges, so as I said before works are moving apace”.
Some residents have expressed that the project has ensured that their commute is now hassle-free.
Imtaz Tallak said he is greatly relieved since residents and commuters have been awaiting the rehabilitation of the road. Floyd Jackson, a taxi driver said: “it’s been very difficult for the longest while for commuters to use this road… however, we have had a lot of change in Region Six in terms of the building of roads.” Jackson was also appreciative of the installation of street lamps which he noted will greatly help drivers, particularly traversing the road in the evenings.
As the East Bank of Berbice road project progresses, street lamps will be installed in the coming weeks. This was revealed during an assessment visit by Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson on April 30.
Elevators for the pedestrian overpasses at Houston, Peter’s Hall, Eccles, Providence and Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) have arrived in the country and are expected to be installed shortly.
The elevators were manufactured by Cibes Lift Group AB, of Gävle Sweden, and supplied by their authorised distributors for the Caribbean, RBP Lifts Limited in Trinidad.
Project Manager (ag), Donor Programmes at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Mark Greene explained that each of the five-pedestrian overheads will have two elevators; one at each end of the walkways. According to Greene the elevator installation process will take five weeks.
The Ministry is awaiting an installation schedule from RBP Lifts.
Greene said that the public will be informed of the installation schedule for each location. He urged that when the process begins that citizens be patient and considerate of the temporary disruption that will result.
The pedestrian overpass projects are part of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s continued efforts to improve road safety countrywide. They provide a safe, well-lit and convenient facility for pedestrians, to cross the busy four-lane EBD Public Road and thereby reduce accidents.
In 2017, two US$364,000 contracts were awarded to S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies for the construction of the overpasses at Diamond and Providence; a US$1M contract was awarded to B & J Civil Works for those at Houston, Peter’s Hall and Eccles.
