Several roads in Lethem to be upgraded

Last Updated on Tuesday, 6 June 2017, 18:17 by Denis Chabrol

Lethem Mayor, Carlton Beckles

Work is scheduled to begin soon to improve the road network in the township of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo), government reported Tuesday.

Mayor of the Township, Carton Beckles said that all the roads in the municipality are in a deplorable state and that the council has been advocating for new roads, which has been successful in getting the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to commit to upgrading five kilometers (km) of the road network.

The mayor explained that the ministry has since stationed an engineer in the region, and seconded him to the town council. The engineer along with the councillors did some measurements and was able to identify priority areas which would be tackled in this first phase of intervention, Beckles said.

The roads to be upgraded are Barrack Retreat Road, (the road from the roundabout to Lethem Power Company (LPC),) the Tabatinga Main Road, Tabatinga Drive (right through to school street,) Middle Street and the Airport Road, “from police station to the St Ignatius bridge.)

Beckles explained that Church Road, Centaur Boulevard and First and Second Streets, have also been identified to be upgraded, in the event there are savings remaining from repairing the five (5) initial streets

The commencement of the road works has been delayed by the weather, Beckles, however he explained that as soon as the weather permits, the works are expected to begin.

The municipality of itself has some finances, for which it can upgrade a few more of the roundabouts, within the township. Mayor Beckles explained that these works will not be undertaken until those that are being executed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure are completed  because the municipality did not want to disrupt the work being done by the ministry.