$250M Mabura-Lethem road work nearing completion
By Oscar P Clarke
Stabroek News
March 6, 2004
Residents of Mabura-Lethem and surrounding areas expect a boom in development when the road linking these two communities is completed.
The approximately 250 miles of mainly laterite surface, the upgrading of which is almost finished, will link Regions Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice). A network of roads already links Regions Ten and Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) and Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni). The possibilities for road travel between Lethem on the Guyana-Brazil border and other areas of the country now look much more promising.
The upgrade has also significantly reduced the time travellers must spend on the road. Previously, the time spent navigating the roadway varied between 12 hours to the most extreme cases where trucks took three days, an observer recalled.
Mekdeci Machinery and Construction's (MMC) Chief Executive Officer Col (rtd) Carl Morgan said the improved road allowed an alternative to flying, where a round trip costs approximately $40,000. The current round trip overland in a luxury coach costs $12,000 and lasts between eight and ten hours.
This week, a group of city reporters witnessed the improvements firsthand.
General Manager of the MMC road project Mark Soares said the company is currently involved in shaping and grading the existing rock-filled roadway between Point Ranch and Hunt Oil some 59 miles from Lethem. Project Supervisor Derek Stuart said cars should be able to traverse the roadway for the Rodeo.
Government, through the Ministry of Public Works, had awarded MMC a contract to upgrade and maintain the Mabura-Lethem road and granted the company the authority to recover its investment through a toll. The two-year, $250 million project commenced in April 2002. MMC hopes to complete the 59-mile stretch of road in six weeks, which will bring the first phase to an end. In the second and third phases, bridges, drains and maintenance will be targeted.
The MMC officials said they would return after a period of settlement and rainfall to examine the area where water affects the road surface. At this time any remedial work needed would be done and kokers checked for blockages. The materials for this exercise will be similar to those used in earlier stretches of the roadway, the manager said.
MMC also acknowledged the hard work and dedication of Omai Gold Mines Ltd and Demerara Timbers Ltd in maintaining the initial 70 and 50 miles respectively of the roadway. Communications Consultant in the Ministry of Public Works Ajay Baksh said the ministry would be responsible for the sourcing of signage for the roadway.
Transporting produce now cheaper
Morgan also noted that the cost of transporting goods to and from the area, which previously was in the vicinity of $120,000 had been reduced to around $80,000. This, he said, was due to the reduction in travel time as well as less wear and tear on vehicles.
Morgan said while trucks pay some $16,000 more in tolls (between $9,000 and $25,000), they saved much more than that on fuel and also on labour charges. However, the anticipated traffic levels have not yet been realised to offset the investment. But it is anticipated that this will improve with the completion of the Takutu Bridge.
It is hoped that the upgrade will encourage more cross-border trade and contact.
Meanwhile, the Rock View Lodge in anticipation of increased travel on the upgraded road has begun the construction of a diner. This facility will complement the current establishment, which offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Colin Edwards, who came to these parts as a VSO in the 1960s and fell in love with the rural community in which he has now settled, is the driving force behind the effort.
Edwards, one of the early advocates for the road, sees it as only one of the positive indicators for the development and improvement of communications for the community. This he envisages will grow rapidly once the Takutu Bridge, which will allow Brazilians easier access, is complete and his roadside diner will be poised to take advantage of this traffic.
He is also hoping to continue to keep rates flexible to encourage both local and overseas visitors to his lodge. He also cited the need for improvements in essential services including those offered by the Police and Immigration and Customs.
While acknowledging a police presence at Annai he said that they were badly in need of equipment particularly transportation to allow them to effectively police the vast area.
Ferry crossing
Meanwhile, the absence of rainfall has seen a drop in the level of the Essequibo River at Kurupukari and MMC has been forced to constantly dredge the channel to facilitate the crossing of the ferry.
Reporters noticed several sand and rock islands during Tuesday's visit and Morgan acknowledged that the dredging activities were expected to continue once the river level remained low. The ferry crossing required careful navigation to avoid grounding.
Morgan said other crossings along the Essequibo River were experiencing similar levels, due to the absence of rainfall particularly from the mountains, which helps to raise the river level.