$10.1B DIAMOND–CRAIG HIGHWAY COMMISSIONED
By Jayda Jeune | HGP Nightly News
On Monday, President Irfaan Ali and the Ministry of Housing and Water officially commissioned the $10.1 billion Diamond–Craig Highway, a project hailed as a major leap in Guyana’s infrastructural transformation.
Minister Susan Rodrigues, within the Ministry of Housing and Water, reminded that the blueprint for the highway was first conceptualized in 2009 by then–Housing Minister, now President Irfaan Ali.
“People of the East Bank needed this road network to ease traffic congestion,” Rodrigues said.
Housing Minister Collin Croal added that the highway forms part of a wider vision for sustainable national growth:
“It’s a faster route for commuters, a cheaper path for businesses, and a smoother journey for families. From farmer to entrepreneur, worker to student—this highway carries not only vehicles but the hopes of a more modern Guyana.”
Stretching from Great Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam along the East Bank Demerara, the new roadway is expected to significantly ease the chronic traffic congestion that has long plagued the corridor.
In his feature address, President Ali underscored the deeper importance of infrastructure:
“Roads are not just for cars. They’re the arteries of development. They carry commerce, industry, agriculture, and tourism. Today’s commissioning is not only about Great Diamond to Buzz Bee Dam—it is about the future we are building.”
The highway is a vital link in improving connectivity to Timehri, home of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and will enhance access to industries, commercial hubs, and tourism development zones.
The project was executed in lots by Falcon Construction, GuyAmerica Construction, China Railway First Group, Nabi & Sons, and HNott & Sons. The Diamond–Buzz Bee Dam phase is the third stage of the overall East Bank expansion, which includes Phase One (Mandela to Eccles) and Phase Two (Eccles to Diamond).
