Sheriff St widening project underway

The heavy-duty machinery at the side of the road yesterday.
The heavy-duty machinery at the side of the road yesterday.

The Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue road widening and upgrade project has finally started, more than six months after the contract was awarded.

The site was handed over to the company – Sino Hydro Corporation Limited – earlier this year after the contract was awarded. The contract is pegged at US$31.03 million and is being financed by the Inter-American Development Bank.

When Stabroek News visited Sheriff Street yesterday heavy-duty equipment such as excavators and other equipment were parked on the side of the road. The two drains running parallel to the road from the East Coast Highway to the Embankment Road were being dug as the company prepared for the widening works. Loads of sand had also been brought to the area and work is expected to kick into full gear shortly.

The two-year project encompasses the relocation of utilities, lane and shoulder improvements, placement of sidewalks and paved shoulders, traffic signals, traffic signs, streetlights, drainage, a pedestrian overhead walkway, culverts, bridges and a roundabout.

During the period of construction, residents living close to the road, road users, and the wider community may be inconvenienced by traffic delays, dust, as well as general construction activities, a release on the project had said.