Questions for two weeks in Guyana--Mainly Linden-Lethem

This is my first travel post here. Best wishes to all!

The tickets were too low to resist for travel to Georgetown, and now we have a month or so to plan in earnest for a trip of just over two weeks. I have a few questions, naturally. My research so far has been the 2019 Bradt guide plus some blogs and news items.

1. Does anyone have current info on the state of the highway between Linden and Lethem? Is it now easier to drive than pre-Covid, or perhaps harder because there's construction going on? Most of the places I'd like to see are along that stretch.

2. I have tended to travel independently wherever possible, often by public transport or hiring guides and transport as needed--including in several areas with poorer infrastructure and fewer tourists than Guyana. I enjoy the logistical aspects of travel, and the contingencies. But I'm getting the impression that going through a local agency may help here because of the short time we have to plan, and the difficulty in contacting lodges and arranging things efficiently. Would anyone instead advocate, say, renting a 4-wheel-drive car in Georgetown to see some of the sights along the way down to Lethem, or is this just a recipe for frustration?

3. Has tourism boomed significantly this year, or is the post-Covid hangover still lingering? I've wanted to go to Guyana for some time (always planned it for fall, but I had to jump at this price), but now I see it on a few "hot in 2023" lists for what they're worth.

Thanks in advance for any help.

These items might be of interest:

https://guyanachronicle.com/2022/04/23/paved-road-between-guyana-brazil-closer-to-fruition/#:~:text=Guyana%20is%20linked%20directly%20to,the%20state%20of%20the%20road.

https://demerarawaves.com/2022/02/04/brazilian-company-picked-for-construction-of-first-leg-of-linden-lethem-highway/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWy56-dhZY4

http://www.focusongeography.org/publications/photoessays/guyana/index.html

https://guyanatimesgy.com/bus-operators-decry-state-of-linden-lethem-road-call-it-death-trap/

http://wikioverland.org/Guyana

February is the beginning of one of the dry seasons, so that's a plus. However, the road is largely unpaved. Rather than renting a car and driving on your own I'd suggest checking into using local public transport (there appear to be minibuses to places along the highway) or hiring a car and driver. Once in Georgetown you can ask around.

When visiting remote areas I prefer hiring a car and driver, as I did recently on a six-week road trip in Northeast India near the borders with China, Bhutan and Myanmar. I shared the cost with a friend. Some of the roads on the route were so pitted, rutted and muddy that it took many more hours to pass than we had anticipated. But it was well worth it.

Thanks! I'll probably be back for more on these and other questions as we go on with our planning.