Emergency repairs needed on Linden to Lethem Road, authorities had been warned

Dear Editor, The Lethem-Linden road represents the main artery for the movement of people and supplies between Region 9 and the coastal belt. Everything from fuel to toilet paper, mattresses to party dresses are conveyed on this road and for the tourism industry it represents both the means of sourcing critical supplies from Georgetown as well as a significant element in the experience that visitors take away with them of their time in the region and Guyana. In 2015 tourism’s reliance on the road between Kurupukari and Lethem was made even more critical when regular air service to popular destinations like Iwokrama, Surama, Rock View and Karanambu Lodge ceased, adding in some cases as much as US$1,000 in additional costs to an international tourist’s visit to the Rupununi.

In the three years since the cessation of flights tourism stakeholders have joined the chorus of voices including truckers and mini-bus drivers decrying the lack of maintenance and resulting deterioration to this vital artery. This year many tourism operators reported significant damage to vehicles well in advance of the first rains as road conditions within the region were already bad. From Christmas to Easter those in the know have called for road maintenance fearing what the rains would do to this already damaged roadway and all to no avail.

By the time the May/June rains hit the 20,000+ residents of the Rupununi were also having to contend with (like much of the country) the dramatic increase in the price of fuel. Now with bridges out, whole areas transformed into a mire of mud and stuck vehicles. Rupununians in the know have started to gird for shortages of fuel and other basic commodities. Municipal efforts have been dispatched to investigate the worst of the degradation but little has to date been done to solve the problems. Already the stories of people and goods stranded on the road for days at a time abound and the costs of repairs, lost assets, time and even life continue to mount. This has also adversely affected the thriving shopping tourism sector in Lethem which sees arrivals of visitors from Brazil via the Takutu Bridge which has been responsible for the commercial growth seen in recent years. With two months of the rainy season still to go even with a moderate to good flooding this vital pathway to Guyana’s interior is likely to be cut off for at least some portion of the remaining rainy season to the detriment of the region’s population. Emergency repairs are needed to safeguard the