─Access road also advancing
Construction and rehabilitation works at the South Dakota Circuit and its surrounding access routes are accelerating as Guyana prepares to host the highly anticipated Guyana Grand Prix next month.
The upgrades form part of a commitment by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in partnership with the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMRC), to ensure the facility meets international standards ahead of the international racing event scheduled for 11 and 12 July.
During a site inspection on Tuesday, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill said significant efforts are underway to ensure the venue is ready to accommodate an expected crowd of more than 20,000 spectators.
“We are actually checking on preparedness as Guyana gets ready to host a very major motor racing event…like everything else, when everybody shows up on the day of an activity and expects everything to be perfect, there is lots of work that has to be done to make that day perfect,” he said.
The minister explained that three teams have been mobilised to execute critical aspects of the project.
One aspect is resurfacing the racetrack to meet international standards.
Another is to ensure adequate accommodations are available for patrons, while the final team is responsible for improving the Linden/Soesdyke access road, commonly known as the glass factory road.
“We are doing a major, major upgrade of what is known as the Glass Factory Road. At minimum, this will be a crusher-run surface finished by the first week in July as we get ready, but we would like to have it all the way to asphaltic concrete,” Minister Edghill said.
He acknowledged that ongoing rainfall has created challenging working conditions but expressed satisfaction with the progress being made.
The ministry has already upgraded the access route from the Timehri area to the circuit.
Moreover, the public works minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the event reflects Guyana’s growing economy on an international stage.
“Everything that Guyana does today must make a statement on the world map, and I think President Ali is taking the lead in that. That is why I am out here practically three weeks ahead of the game to see what is happening and what interventions need to be made,” he said.
He added that another inspection will be conducted in the coming weeks to assess progress and determine whether additional measures are required.