After years of navigating potholes and narrow lanes, residents along the Corentyne corridor say they are encouraged by the sight of asphalt now being laid on a trial section of the Palmyra–Moleson Creek Highway in Region Six.
The 200-metre trial section, part of Lot Two of the highway expansion, is 7.5 metres wide and being constructed with a 70-millimetre levelling course. It will undergo testing before full-scale paving begins.
Among those welcoming the progress is hire car driver Ajai Rampersaud of Skeldon, who said the completed highway would make travelling more comfortable, particularly for drivers who regularly use the route.
“This road on the one side, it’s really good for now, until they make this one side. So right now the job that they’re doing there is really good. I like that for travelling on it. It’ll be convenient for me because it’ll be a nice road, smooth road, no wavy, no bouncing up all the time. It’ll be smooth. You’re driving smooth all the time, so it’ll be good, it’ll be nice,” Rampersaud said.
He also welcomed the planned expansion, saying the existing two-lane road can be challenging for the increasing number of trucks, cars and minibuses using the corridor.
“This two lane is not enough space for the truck drivers and all them car drivers, the minibus or whatever. So that’ll be safe. This new road will be less repairing, like for the car, for them, because it wouldn’t be breaking up so much. Like now, you got to change tire, wheel, all that thing you got to change,” he said.
Further along the corridor, resident Wendy Balgobin echoed that optimism, saying she was especially pleased with the width of the new roadway.
“Well, it’s a great initiative. I like how the road is so wide, you know, you won’t get problems. And they’re doing a great job. When we got in the park, I said, ‘Wow, this road look like, we were going to Georgetown.’ So that’s nice, you know, really nice. And they’re working fast, I can see that,” Balgobin said.
For Charlotte Gordon, a resident of Tarlogie, Corentyne, the development is a source of personal pride.
“I’m one of the residents that is very proud of the development of the country. I am proud. I am glad to see the area is the first one that they put in the asphalt,” Gordon said.
She added that she expects the improved roadway to bring relief to motorists who regularly contend with potholes.
“It’ll benefit me greatly, because you won’t be having holes, potholes on the road anymore. Never mind persons trying to say that the road won’t destroy in a month’s time and all such things. I don’t believe that. The people are working very hard. They are working hard. I am proud,” she said.
Meanwhile, Region Six resident Royan Abrams, who travels the corridor daily, said the expansion is especially important as the number of vehicles on Guyana’s roads continues to rise.
“I am very much pleased and satisfied with the progress that I’m seeing so far. What this means for the people of Berbice is that we would have better access, wider roads, and as you all know, there are more and more vehicles coming into the country every single day, and we would need infrastructure like this. I want to say a special thanks to the government for investing in infrastructure like this that will benefit the people, not only of Region Six, but the country as a whole,” Abrams said.
Looking ahead, further paving is expected to accelerate from September 15, at a rate of approximately 100 metres per day, while crusher run will be placed along the remaining sections of the road network.
