Dear Editor,
Kindly permit me a space in your local newspaper to highlight a few issues that can help with the traffic situation along the East Coast Demerara which has reached an unacceptable level and now demands urgent, practical intervention by the Government and the Ministry of Public Works.
While infrastructure development is welcomed, the sequencing and prioritisation of projects appear deeply flawed. My humble suggestion is that the Chinese contractors currently focused on the lower East Coast railway excavation should immediately mobilise all available resources to urgently rehabilitate the stretch between Success and Plaisance. This corridor has become a major choke point and is crippling daily movement.
Previously, chauffeurs and commuters were able to traverse the old railway reserve from Enmore to Sheriff Street, easing pressure on the main road. With ongoing projects, delays, and blocked alternatives, all traffic is now forced onto the East Coast public road, creating daily chaos, lost productivity, and severe frustration for road users.
In addition, with schools now closed, the Ministry of Public Works should seize this opportunity to urgently construct overhead pedestrian walkways in high-traffic school zones such as Apex Education and surrounding areas. Guyana has skilled engineers, fabrication companies, and technical expertise—these local skills must be utilised to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow simultaneously.
Further, the Government must seriously consider in 2026, upgrading the main road from Annandale Market Road to Cove and John corridor into a four-lane roadway to accommodate current and future traffic volumes. Temporary fixes are no longer sufficient for the level of development taking place on the East Coast. Immediate attention is also needed to:
● Patch and repair potholes between Plaisance and Sheriff Street along the Rupert Craig Highway;
● Rehabilitate the Hope Beach junction, which becomes dangerously deplorable after heavy rainfall;
● Repair the Hope Canal Bridge in front of the secondary school, which poses a serious risk to motorists and pedestrians alike.
● Ensure that joiner roads between the main road and railway road are given some priority such as Coldigen, LBI, Enmore etc.
● Most important, the ministry and traffic department should look at making a road turn off by Doobay Medical Center near the main bridge to facilitate vehicles that have to return westwards and avoid the bottleneck at Annandale Market Road and install a stop light at this intersection.
Also, considering the heavy traffic that turns westward at UG road to access Movietowne and the side access road, it might be appropriate to consider a turn off by the side access road that can reduce the heavy dependency at UG main road that can coincide with the stop light at UG road.
Equally alarming is the condition of several bridges along the East Coast main road, where metal bolts are protruding upwards like spikes, creating a clear hazard. These should be urgently sealed with bitumen or properly re-engineered.
While the Ministry does have inspection teams, the current state of affairs raises serious concerns about whether proper assessments, engineering analysis, and timely interventions are being conducted. Infrastructure management cannot be reactive; it must be proactive, coordinated, and safety-driven.
The East Coast is a vital economic artery. Continued delays, poor coordination, and neglect will only worsen congestion, increase accidents, and erode public confidence. The time for decisive, well-prioritised action is now.