A new wave of development is reshaping Region Ten, with the government advancing projects aimed at improving connectivity and expanding economic opportunities across the region.
Speaking at the 60th Independence Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony in Linden on Sunday evening, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, said the transformation reflects the government’s long-term vision for national development.
“You had your glory days of bauxite and the major role it played in contributing to our national development and sustainability. But you are experiencing a new wave of development. We can still hold on to bauxite as a major item, or we could understand that the world has changed and we have to change with the world,” the minister told the gathering.
The minister outlined several major infrastructure projects which he said are positioning Region Ten at the centre of Guyana’s economic expansion and its integration with South America.
He noted that the first phase of the Linden-to-Mabura Hill road project, a vital link connecting Guyana and Brazil, is nearing completion and is expected to be finished by the end of August.
Minister Edghill disclosed that discussions are actively progressing for the next phase of the project, from Mabura Hill to Kurupukari.
The government is also advancing plans for the construction of bridges and road networks linking Kurupukari to Annai and Annai to Lethem, to improve trade and transportation between Guyana and neighbouring South American countries.
Minister Edghill said the broader vision includes utilising Guyana’s planned deep-water harbour at Palmyra in Berbice to move goods and services more efficiently and at lower costs across the region.
Another major development project highlighted was the new Wismar–Mackenzie Bridge in Linden. He said the bridge is more than 95 per cent complete and is expected to be opened by the end of June.
“We are getting ready in just a matter of weeks, by the end of June, to open for every Lindener and every Guyanese who passes through Linden. A bridge that we could be able to get across the Demerara River,” he said.
Moreover, the minister pointed to other major infrastructural works aimed at strengthening Guyana’s regional integration agenda as the country marks 60 years of Independence.
He announced that the process for appointing supervisory consultants under the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) framework for the proposed bridge across the Berbice River has been completed.
Guyana also remains engaged with neighbouring Suriname on plans for a bridge across the Corentyne River, despite recent changes in Suriname’s administration.
These projects form part of a wider national strategy to position Guyana as a major transportation and trade hub within South America. (DPI)
