The Guyana Government this morning signed a US$260M contract with China Railway Construction Company Limited for the construction of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Though the design for the bridge is yet to be finalized, preparatory works will commence immediately for the construction of the crossing. It is estimated that construction will last for two years. The length of the bridge is to be 2.65 Kilometers with the width of the driving surface to be 23.6 meters to accommodate four lanes.
It was noted that the new bridge will not have a retractor span but rather a high span at an altitude of 50 meters from the highest water point. This means that handymax-size vessels could cross freely at any time eliminating the closure for retractions. It was further stated that the design life span of the bridge is 100 years. The signing of the bridge was witnessed by ministers of government, members of the private sector and residents from regions three and four.
The contract was signed with China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited in a Joint Venture with China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company Limited and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited at Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Since March, government has been saying that a deal for the bridge was imminent and that it was anticipating closing negotiations.
While China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) had been the most responsive bidder when companies tendered for the project last year, negotiations fell through.
CSCEC, in its tender document, pegged the cost for the construction of the bridge at US$256,638,289.
Government then began negotiations with the second most responsive bidder, China Railway, and its partners, in January of this year.
But this had only been revealed when Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, during an interview with the United States VICE News Media announced that the financing costs proposed by CSCEC were too high for this country.
Sources had explained to this newspaper that CSCEC’s proposed rate of interest was not agreed to as the company’s negotiators were adamant that it would not accept a fixed rate and had wanted to set the conditions for changes “that would have been solely determined by them”.
When completed, government wants a new four-lane, high-span fixed bridge in the vicinity of the current location and which terminates at Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara. “The new design of the Demerara Harbour Bridge will not require opening or retraction to allow for maritime traffic and will be built with a life span of at least 50 years,” the bidding document states.
There has been a major controversy over the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency not to require an Environmental Impact Assessment for the project.
