Government has signed a contract for the upgrade of another 30 kilometres of the Linden-Lethem corridor, as the ongoing Linden to Mabura Hill road project approaches 80 per cent completion.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that the new works will extend beyond Mabura Hill towards Kurupukari, marking the next stage in the development of the key hinterland route.
“We are 80 per cent completed with the Linden-Mabura Road, and we’ve just signed a contract to continue another 30 kilometres beyond Mabura to go to Kurupukari,” Edghill said during a recent Cabinet outreach in Region 10.
The first phase involves the construction of approximately 121 kilometres of asphalt road between Linden and Mabura Hill. The Public Works Ministry recently placed overall progress at 79 per cent, with substantial portions of the roadway already at an advanced stage.
With much of the major earthworks completed, attention has shifted to finishing works and the installation of road infrastructure and signage.
The US$190 million Linden-Mabura project is being financed through a US$112 million Caribbean Development Bank loan, a £50 million grant from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund and US$12 million from the Guyana Government.
Meanwhile, preparations are also moving ahead for a permanent bridge across the Essequibo River at Kurupukari, another critical component of the wider Linden-Lethem corridor.
Edghill had previously disclosed that 48 bridges have been completed along the route, while the planned Kurupukari Bridge is expected to be between 700 and 800 metres long.
Plans to utilise sections of the decommissioned Demerara Harbour Bridge at the crossing were abandoned after studies determined that option was not feasible. Government has instead opted for a high-span fixed concrete bridge capable of accommodating larger vehicles, including trucks travelling between Guyana and Brazil.
The wider Linden-Lethem road development is expected to eventually provide an all-weather connection to the southern town, improving access to interior communities while strengthening the movement of people and goods between Guyana and Brazil.
