New Ogle to Eccles Highway commissioned, investments worth billions coming 

The 11.63 kilometre Ogle to Eccles Highway was commissioned by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Monday night with the promise of reducing travel time and attracting substantial investments in nearby areas.

The four-lane road was built from the intersection of the Rupert Craig Highway and the Ogle airstrip road to Eccles, East Bank Demerara. It is expected to significantly reduce travel time.

The Indian company, Ashoka Buildcon, executed the project.

The Guyanese Head of State described the new highway as a “corridor of opportunity,” which now makes accessing acres of previously unused land possible. The land now accessible by the highway can be used for new housing schemes, farming, and private development.

And already, Dr. Ali revealed, the corridor will attract about US$500 million (or about $1.4 billion) in private investments.

“To those who say ‘you can’t eat roads’… It’s not about eating roads, it’s about building opportunity. It’s not about eating roads, it’s about investing in people. It’s not about eating roads, it’s about creating jobs. It’s not about eating roads, it’s about building a transformative, modern Guyana,” the President posited.

The new highway, Dr. Ali also noted, is part of a much larger plan to develop the country’s transportation network.

This project comes about a decade after Guyana received a funding commitment from India.

Then, under former President Donald Ramotar, a US$50 million loan commitment from the Indian Exim Bank was given to fund the road project. After the change of government in 2015, however, the project was stalled.

Guyana, a few years ago, received the US $50 million as a line of credit from India and used those funds to advance the project.

Ogle to Eccles Highway will connect to new Demerara River Bridge