Government to focus on community roads this year -Works Minister

During his budget debate presentation Mr. Edghill said the PPP government spent more money on roads in the last two years than the former APNU+AFC government did in its five years in office.

Government to focus on community roads this year -Works Minister

With a large spending on infrastructure projects over the past two and a half years, Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, has boasted that both towns and communities now have better access roads.

During his budget debate presentation Mr. Edghill said the PPP government spent more money on roads in the last two years than the former APNU+AFC government did in its five years in office.

“In the 28 months that the PPP/C is in office, we have already allocated and implemented $45B worth of works in miscellaneous roads, in 56 months, $8B worth of roads—that was the lethargic, do little state of the APNU+AFC,” Edghill said.

Some $136 Billion has been set aside in this year’s budget for the construction of roads and bridges. The Minister said heavy focus will be placed on community roads this year, even as he noted that more than 80% of its intended target last year for community roads were achieved.

“In terms of miscellaneous roads, in 2020 we did 80 kilometers of community roads, in 2021 we built 117 Kilometers, in 2022, we built 290 kilometers of community roads, that’s what this PPP/C did, Edghill boasted.

The Minister said last year saw massive works conducted in almost all of the regions, with some road works ongoing as government looks at fast tracking infrastructure development.

“Mr. Speaker, in terms of urban roads and bridges, in 2022, the three months that we came in we did 6.37 kilometers. In 2021, we continued our programme with 3.6 kilomtres, in 2022, we built 18.3 kilometers of roads in the city and in the towns—urban centers,” Edghill pointed out.

Mr. Edghill said massive concrete road works were also undertaken in the hinterland regions.

In addition he said more than 40 bridges in the hinterland alone are currently under construction while others are being renovated from wood to concrete bridges to modernize communities.

He said similar works are also being executed in coastland regions.

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