HGP Nightly News – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has described the US$161 million rehabilitation of the Linden–Soesdyke Highway as “highway robbery,” questioning why work on the existing 73-kilometre road costs only US$29 million less than the longer and more technically challenging Linden–Mabura Hill project.
Standing along the highway, Mohamed demanded a detailed account of how the contract sum was calculated and where the money would be spent.
He compared the project with the approximately US$190 million upgrade of the 121-kilometre Linden–Mabura Hill Road, which involves transforming an unpaved corridor through difficult terrain into an asphalt roadway.
By contrast, he said, the Linden–Soesdyke project largely involves removing and replacing asphalt along an established route.
“To spend US$161 million stripping and relaying asphalt on an existing road is less like a highway project and more like highway robbery,” Mohamed said.
The original Linden–Soesdyke Highway was constructed between 1966 and 1968 by American company B.B. McCormick & Sons during the Forbes Burnham administration.
Mohamed estimated that the materials and visible works under the current rehabilitation—including asphalt, crusher run, approximately 3,000 street lights and two roundabouts—should cost no more than US$50 million.
He questioned how the remaining US$111 million would be used.
That estimate was not accompanied by a complete bill of quantities or an independent engineering assessment. The cost of a road project may also include drainage, bridges, safety systems, utility relocation, engineering, labour, machinery, financing and contingencies not immediately visible at the construction site.
A comparison based solely on road length does not prove that either project is overpriced. A reliable assessment would require the full contracts, technical specifications and independently verified costs for both roads.
Mohamed nevertheless alleged that public infrastructure contracts under the PPP/C administration contain excessive markups. He claimed that while contractors ordinarily add between 10 and 20 per cent, markups on some government projects reach 100 per cent.
No documentary evidence supporting that broader allegation was presented in his statement.
The Opposition Leader also questioned the circumstances surrounding the contract awarded to GuyAmerica Construction Inc. and Trinidad and Tobago-based Namalco Construction Services.
He alleged that political relationships influenced the selection of the contractors. That claim has not been independently established, and neither the government nor the companies were quoted responding to his latest allegations.
The contract was reportedly signed in August 2024 with a two-year construction period. Mohamed expressed doubt that the reported September 2026 completion deadline would be met.
He also raised concerns about poor visibility and other hazards along sections under construction, arguing that motorists face increased danger, particularly at night.
Mohamed further alleged that foreign workers were being employed at the expense of residents living along the highway. He called for local communities to receive a fair share of the jobs generated by the project.
No workforce data were provided to support the allegation that foreign labour is being prioritised.
Work is continuing on the neighbouring Linden–Mabura Hill corridor. Contractor Alya Construction previously reported that 100 kilometres had been paved and road-specific works had reached 83 per cent completion.
The project reportedly involves more than 300 pieces of heavy equipment and a workforce of approximately 900 people.
Mohamed called for the government to publish the detailed cost breakdown and supporting procurement documents for the Linden–Soesdyke contract, arguing that taxpayers should not have to rely on political assurances when assessing a US$161 million public investment.
