Vendors and other occupants at the Soesdyke Junction have been given a final two weeks to relocate ahead of the start of heavy construction work on a new roundabout on September 9.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill issued the notice yesterday during a stakeholder meeting on the roundabout, which forms part of the wider reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
According to the ministry, the junction will link the East Bank Demerara corridor, the route to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. It is intended to reduce congestion, improve road safety and facilitate travel and trade between the coast, Region Ten and the hinterland.
Edghill said the notice followed approximately one year of consultations and several meetings with persons who would be affected by the project.
The contractor is expected to construct a paved tarmac to accommodate displaced vendors. The ministry said this was intended to provide a safe relocation site while allowing the businesses to continue operating.
The first phase of work will include drainage improvements along the section of highway adjoining the proposed roundabout. The ministry said these works are expected to address longstanding flooding and drainage problems affecting residents of Hill Foot.
Public utilities will also be relocated, after which a service road will be constructed to maintain traffic to and from the airport during the project.
The proposed roundabout will have two continuous traffic lanes linking the airport road, the highway and the East Bank corridor. It will also include a service lane intended to prevent unsafe lane changes and motorists cutting across the roundabout.
The existing road running parallel to the single-lane highway behind the Guyana Forestry Commission building will be permanently closed. The ministry said the closure is necessary to remove blind spots and reduce the risk of collisions caused by converging traffic.
The ministry said traffic-management measures will be monitored throughout construction in an effort to minimise disruption.
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