By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Ministry of Housing and Water has strongly pushed back against allegations made by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, dismissing his claims that the proposed Versailles to Parika Four-Lane Highway is overpriced and rejecting his description of the project as “highway robbery” as baseless political rhetoric.
The Ministry’s rebuttal follows public statements by the Opposition Leader, who alleged corruption and political favoritism across the project’s 17 lots, claiming the 23-kilometer infrastructure project in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) is grossly inflated when compared to the G$13.3 billion Eccles to Great Diamond Highway (Heroes Highway) in Region Four.
Incomparable Engineering Scopes and Ground Conditions
In a detailed technical statement, the Ministry of Housing and Water explained that comparing the headline costs of the two highways is fundamentally flawed, noting that the G$121 billion figure represents an initial aggregate engineer’s estimate across unawarded tender lots, whereas the G$13.3 billion figure reflects the completed contract value of the East Bank Demerara corridor.
The Ministry outlined major structural, geotechnical, and engineering differences that account for the cost disparity:
- Preparation Base Width: The Region Four highway required a corridor preparation base width of approximately 25.99 meters, whereas the Versailles-to-Parika corridor requires a substantially wider footprint of 53.15 meters for sand filling and pavement foundation.
- Massive Ground Treatment (PVDs): Due to challenging soil and coastal swamp terrain in Region Three, the project involves the installation of over 31,100 kilometers of Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) driven to depths ranging from 10 to 18 meters to stabilize the foundation before surfacing.
- Ancillary Infrastructure: The Versailles-to-Parika project includes a comprehensive program of supporting drainage networks, heavy-duty culverts, bridges, and access connectors that extend well beyond standard pavement laying.
Unaddressed Allegations of Pre-Award Stockpiling
Despite issuing a detailed engineering breakdown to justify the project’s scale and estimated cost, the Ministry’s statement did not address one of the Opposition Leader’s primary allegations: that certain contracting firms had already begun stockpiling sand, loam, and crusher-run aggregate on-site before the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) had officially finalized or announced the contract awards.
“The contractors started stockpiling sand and crush and run before the contracts were awarded,” Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed had alleged during his media presentation.
The project remains under public scrutiny as the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board continues its evaluation process for the 17 designated lots.
