US$156 million World Bank project to drive Guyana’s transport modernisation

Guyana’s transport infrastructure sector is set for a major boost through the Integrated Transport Corridors Project (ITCP), following the signing of a US$156 million loan agreement between Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, and World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, Susana Cordeiro Guerra.

Dr. Singh is in Washington attending the 2025 World Bank Group/IMF Annual Meetings, which run from October 13 to 18. The agreement was signed during a meeting on the margins of the event.

The project, approved earlier this year by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, aims to support Guyana’s efforts to upgrade and rehabilitate its road infrastructure. It will focus on enhancing transport networks in selected regions to ensure more resilient, safer, and more reliable mobility while strengthening the country’s ability to withstand natural hazards.

Delivering remarks before the signing, Dr. Singh welcomed the World Bank’s engagement, noting that the ITCP will play a key role in advancing the government’s agenda to expand and modernise Guyana’s transport systems.

“This project has the potential to help unlock increased production and productivity in our non-oil economy, such as through farm to market roads which facilitate both production and trade, as well as to improve connectivity between communities,” Dr. Singh underscored.

The ITCP aligns with Guyana’s national development goals to:
• Boost agricultural exports and food security by improving market access
• Unlock housing and tourism potential by improving access to new development areas
• Reduce traffic fatalities with improved road design and safety features
• Enhance economic growth by facilitating efficient movement of goods and people
• Improve access to social services such as health and education
• Strengthen climate resilience through dedicated infrastructure solutions

The initiative reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to modernising Guyana’s infrastructure, as outlined in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) 2025–2030 Manifesto. It is expected to deliver significant economic and social benefits as the country, under President Irfaan Ali’s leadership, continues its path of rapid modernization and growth.

Over the past five years, the PPP/C government has implemented transformative infrastructure projects across Guyana, reshaping the national landscape with new and upgraded bridges, highways, and transport networks.

In the next five years, the administration plans to intensify its efforts to develop transport infrastructure, with a dual focus on unlocking economic potential and improving the quality of life for all Guyanese.

Among recent achievements, the government commissioned a new bridge across the Demerara River linking Regions Three and Four — a project that began during its first term in office. Construction of another bridge across the Berbice River, connecting Regions Five and Six and accommodating cargo traffic, is set to begin soon. The project will advance plans to make Region Six an industrial hub and strengthen connectivity with Suriname and Brazil.

Planned projects under the 2025–2030 development agenda include the continued upgrade of the Linden–Lethem Highway; construction of bridges at Kurukupari and Puruni; completion of the Linden–Soesdyke Highway upgrade and a four-lane highway from the East Bank of Demerara to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA); completion of the highway from Land of Canaan to the Linden–Soesdyke Highway, Silica City, and CJIA; and the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River to link Guyana with Suriname and open access to additional markets.

The Corentyne River Bridge will be built in collaboration with Surinamese counterparts. (DPI)