Several hours-long closures of the Demerara Harbour Bridge are scheduled as major rehabilitation of spans nine and ten is due to resume, according to General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation Wayne Watson.
Responding to questions from the press at a news conference on Monday, Watson explained that repairs totalling $1.2 billion are being done in intervals.
According to the work schedule, 16 six-hour closures have been scheduled to execute corrective works. Watson said to date they had completed five of the lengthy closures. “It was scheduled to finish in December 2021, but because of consideration for users, we are now projecting somewhere between April. In order to replace span nine, the rehabilitation work of both span nine and 10 must be completed which will require some closure of the bridge. The total closure to do the rehabilitation is 16, six-hour closures, to date we have only done five,” he explained.
At the press conference, Minister Juan Edghill said works commenced in 2021 but were paused to accommodate traffic during the holiday season. He noted that with the holidays over, the bridge company will return to its robust work plan to ensure the bridge keeps functioning effectively. “Budget 2021 catered for the rebuilding of a new span nine and for repairs to spans nine and ten as a temporary model…,” he said.
Edghill noted that it is vital that the bridge remains functional as the new harbour bridge will not become operational until two years’ time. Touching on the new bridge, Edghill said that they are looking to have a contract signing immediately, after the team would have completed negotiations with the contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. “Between the week before Christmas and today, six such meetings were held and the sun is getting ready to shine brightly,” Edghill said as he pointed out that a contract will soon be signed.
Meanwhile, when asked what will become of the decommissioned bridge once the new one becomes operational, the minister stated that it will not be cast away as “old iron pushed in a corner.” He stated that no decision has been taken yet, but from exploring options, several areas were identified in which it can function effectively, including at Kwakwani, the Kurupukari Crossing and linking the islands of Leguan to Wakenaam or Goshen to Bartica.
Last week, the minister explained that they have been working to ensure the best deal for the new bridge project is secured before they move to sign a contract. Discussions are centred on financial payment options, final design of the bridge, and delivery of work, among other things. China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) was selected as the company to construct the $256.6 million bridge after cabinet’s no objection and an evaluation by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board. The company had tendered the lowest bid during the procurement process. Stabroek News understands that during the evaluation of bids for the project, CSCEC scored highest for its submission of a bridge proposal that it will design, finance, and build. Guyana, it was explained by a source, would have to operate the crossing.
During the procurement process, government had specified that the design should accommodate a dual two-lane (four-lane) carriageway, hybrid cable-stayed centre-span bridge with concrete box/T-beam girder approach bridge structures, and must include bridge collision protection, a navigation span to accommodate Handymax vessel navigation aids, lighting, signage, and all other ancillary works, an access road with a minimum of 50 meters up to abutments, toll-collection buildings and ancillary buildings on the West Bank of the Demerara River. When completed, government wants the new bridge terminating at Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara. Government had said that it may have to acquire those lands which fall into the path of the new location which terminates at Nandy Park on the East Bank and La Grange on the West Bank, but a decision on that matter has not yet been made.
