Works on the final section of the Aubrey Barker road project are expected to be completed by the end of January.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill gave the update during a site visit on Saturday. He was at the time accompanied by technical staff of the ministry, the contractor and a representative from the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

The minister explained that works on this final stretch, which he identified as Lot 26, were plagued by several challenges, including the relocation of some persons living on government reserves along the path and the relocation of several GWI transmission mains.

Nineteen persons have already been relocated along this stretch and settlement programmes for them are currently underway.

It was also explained that the GWI transmission line that was in the path of the project also needed to be removed from the centre of the carriageway to the road shoulder. Most of this work has been completed thus far.

“We want to get this done by the end of this month,” the public works minister said.

This portion of the road will link Aubrey Barker to the Ogle Highway. It is a critical part of the wider expansion project stretching 3.8 kilometres and connecting South Ruimveldt and surrounding communities like Sophia and Lamaha Park directly to the Ogle Highway.

Additionally, Minister Edghill reiterated that provisions will be put in place to reviatlise the market area and ensure that vendors are able to comfortably ply their trade.

“We will work with the Ministry of Local Government to probably do some improvements – painting, fixing some of the internal walkways. For some of the vendors who have been removed, we are building out a tarmac in the same area where the stockpile is being held. We want to be able to get this completed and open up this road as a major connector, getting you all the way to the Ogle-Eccles interlink and I think this will make life much better for the people in the area,” he explained.