The prolonged closure of sections of the Thomas Lands roadway had significantly affected schools in the area, causing backed up traffic and forcing persons to walk a good distance where vehicles could go no further. At least two head teachers have expressed relief that the road has been completely reopened lately, and things seem back to normal.
The principal for one of the schools, who preferred to speak with Kiskadee Watch anonymously, shared that it has been about three years that they have had to navigate the rigours associated with steady closures of the roadway. “Now that it’s open, I’m happy it’s finally done. We hope that they don’t have to do any corrective works that will cause any further delay or disruption,” he expressed.
The principal reflected that because vehicles could go only go up to a certain point, persons had to walk a long distance to get to the school. “You had people of all ages and some people had mobility difficulties. It was a whole serious debacle there. One time we even had to contact the ministry to find out what’s going on,” he reflected.
This teacher said that adequate notices were not given for closures as he recalled how the day after Mashramani, they turned up to find the place blocked up with no prior notice.
Deputy Principal of Queen’s College Candaice Cave-Stephen shared that the only difficulty they encountered was the build-up of traffic on Camp Street. “Parents who were dropping off could no longer use the Thomas Lands entrance, so everybody was backed up at Camp Street entrance,” she shared, adding, “We had to open up the compound and there was heavy traffic flow in the compound, which was not very safe for the children, but thankfully during that period everything went well.”
The rehabilitation of the Thomas Lands roadway was carried out in two phases; Phase One was awarded in December 2023 at a cost of $397.6 million, while Phase Two was awarded in November 2024 for $740.4 million.
Both phases involved major infrastructure works, including the removal of the deteriorated asphalt surface, earthworks and subgrade improvements, the placement and compaction of crushed aggregate base material, and the construction of a new 80-millimetre asphalt concrete roadway.
The project also included the construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls, reinforced concrete walkways and culverts, as well as the installation of road furniture and traffic management measures. Utility coordination, quality assurance testing and associated in-situ concrete works were also undertaken.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told Kiskadee Watch lately that during construction, sections of the roadway were closed in phases to allow works to proceed while maintaining controlled access to the area. He said authorities issued regular traffic advisories and road closure notices through various media platforms to reduce disruption to motorists and residents.
Both phases of the project, he said, experienced initial delays due to the procurement and shipment of specialised components required for the MSE retaining walls. The materials, which were imported from China, took approximately four months to arrive in Guyana and construction activities were also periodically hampered by adverse weather conditions, he noted.
An additional delay was encountered during Phase Two after Queen’s College requested the construction of two reinforced concrete culverts to improve drainage access adjacent to the school. Although these works were not part of the original contract, Edghill said that they were subsequently incorporated and completed.
He further shared that all major construction activities have now been completed and the Thomas Lands roadway was reopened to vehicular traffic on May 13. The completed project has resulted in an upgraded roadway with improved pavement quality, enhanced drainage infrastructure, safer pedestrian access and increased resilience to support transportation needs in the area.
Prior to the two major phases there was a famous failed attempt at road rehabilitation which required corrective work.
On December 20, 2022 Stabroek News had reported that months after a section of newly done Thomas Lands road had to be repaired after it began sinking, another segment was experiencing the same problem.
Questions had been raised about the quality of work that was done on the road. The road had been done by Pooran Manman and Sons Contracting Services.
Company manager Pooran Manman told Stabroek News in August of 2022 that a second layer of asphalt was placed on the sections of the road that started to deteriorate.
Manman said that if the 200-metre portion of the road continued to see slippage and additional potholes on either side, then the entire stretch of asphalt would have to be dug up and the road would have to be reconstructed.
Edghill had previously told this newspaper that the company had used a three-tonne roller instead of a ten-ton roller, which was the required standard in order for the asphalt to have maximum compression.
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