GEORGETOWN – After months of frustration, gridlock, and half-finished works, the Government has pulled the plug on the contractor behind the $631 million Princes Street Road expansion, stepping in directly to rescue a project that had become a growing source of public inconvenience in the heart of Georgetown.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill confirmed on Monday that the contractor was formally terminated for poor performance after failing to meet contractual obligations and leaving the corridor in what he described as a disorderly and unsafe state. With the project stalled at roughly 30 per cent completion, the Ministry has now transferred full responsibility to its Special Projects Unit, moving to regain control of the critical roadway ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Speaking during a site inspection, Edghill said Princes Street is a vital link in the city’s traffic network, designed to carry increased vehicle flow coming off the expanded four-lane Cemetery Road. Instead of easing congestion, the unfinished works had worsened conditions for residents, businesses, and commuters who rely on the route daily.
The Minister revealed that two contracts were originally awarded for the stretch from Cemetery Road westward, but the contractor, Yhardram & Sons Construction Establishment, failed not only to execute the works on schedule but also left the area cluttered and difficult to navigate. Despite receiving an advance payment of $189.3 million, progress remained unacceptably slow, forcing the Ministry to intervene.
The project, officially titled Lot 23: Rehabilitation and Construction of Princess Street from Cemetery Road to St Stephen Street, was launched in November 2024 with a ten-month completion window ending in September 2025. Its scope includes a new asphalt concrete roadway, improved drainage, concrete walkways, and retaining walls along a 1,070-metre stretch designed to modernise traffic movement through central Georgetown.
With the contractor removed, Edghill said the Ministry’s Special Projects Unit, under the leadership of Senior Engineer Colin Gittins, has already moved onto the site. The immediate focus, he explained, is to clean up the project area, stabilise the road surface, and restore basic accessibility so traffic can move more smoothly and safely.
The Minister assured residents that relief is no longer theoretical but already underway, as government crews work to correct the disruption left behind and push the project back into active construction mode. He stressed that while contractors are afforded opportunities to perform, the government will not hesitate to act when public safety, mobility, and convenience are compromised.
Edghill said the takeover sends a clear message that major infrastructure projects, particularly those in densely populated and high-traffic areas, will not be allowed to drift or fail. Once completed, the Princes Street upgrade is expected to significantly improve traffic flow, drainage, and pedestrian safety while strengthening connectivity between Cemetery Road and High Street.
As the Ministry accelerates work on the corridor, officials say the intervention reflects a broader push to enforce accountability in public works and ensure that residents see tangible results from infrastructure investments meant to transform Georgetown’s road network.
