President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Monday commissioned the newly expanded four-lane Aubrey Barker Road, marking the completion of a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at easing congestion and improving connectivity in South Georgetown.
The long-awaited project transforms a key artery serving South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt, Festival City, and Lamaha Springs, with the modernised roadway now better equipped to handle rising traffic volumes driven by rapid urban expansion.
At the ceremony, President Ali reminded citizens of the government’s national effort to improve Guyana’s roads and better connect its regions.
The upgraded road, he pointed out, now ties more directly into the Heroes Highway, the East Coast corridor, and other key routes, saving commuters time and taking pressure off other busy thoroughfares.
“It creates faster access to businesses and developments along that corridor…,”he said. “What is happening here on the Aubrey Barker Road is not an isolated project. It is a strategic project. It is not a local upgrade. It is part of a national upgrade of the road transport system.”
The Guyanese leader said the investments there will not stop at smoother traffic. New housing schemes and businesses are already springing up along the corridor.
He spoke of the increase in land values in areas where the government has poured money into road works. One plot bought for $5 million in 2021, he said, recently sold for $38 million. Another property, valued at $23 million back in 2017, went for $112 million this year after only minor touch-ups.
The Aubrey Barker Road is now officially a public road, so the Ministry of Public Works will take care of its maintenance from now on.
The upgrade is part of the government’s wider road transport masterplan, which seeks to improve connectivity, open up new lands for development, and lay the groundwork for long-term growth.
Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill said while the Aubrey Barker Road and the Greenfield-to-Ogle expansion were underway, some $77 million was spent on 57 projects in the surrounding communities of South Georgetown.
Mandalall Ramraj, a minister in the Ministry of Public Works, said that the new corridor will help nearly 5,000 daily commuters.
Spanning 4.4 kilometres in length, the upgraded roadway features widened lanes, modern signage, and improved lighting. Covered drains were also built along 5.4 kilometres on both sides, with matching pedestrian walkways.
The project commenced in November 2022 and was divided into multiple sections.
Department of Public Information (DPI)
