Construction work in the Demerara River for the new harbour bridge has commenced and the contractor will soon begin developing a reserve work area, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, yesterday said.
“As MARAD [Maritime Administration Department] has explained, construction work has begun. They have to make what you call a reserve work area first and then pile driving will commence,” Edghill told Stabroek News.
He was referring to a notice from MARAD which informed mariners that the construction of the bridge had begun and explained the precautions that needed to be taken when in the vicinity identified.
”MARAD wishes to advise that construction of the New Demerara River Crossing has commenced. As a result, an exclusive zone [Work Area] is being effected; with two transit sections for vessels in the vicinity of the retractor and high spans of the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge,” the notice stated.
It said that activities will be conducted south of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, in the vicinity of the West Bank to East Bank of the Demerara River.
Following a visit by Yan Meng, Vice President of China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited (CRCCL), the company that is building the bridge, Edghill had announced that physical work would have commenced soon.
“We are getting to that phase where you would see actual works on the bridge… in another two weeks or so. We will start physical works or what we call bridge construction,” he had told this newspaper on April 13.
He informed that the construction company’s Vice President visited his office and presented the government with a replica of what the bridge would look like when completed.
The Public Works Minister informed that upon receiving the model bridge, he reminded the company’s representative that government expected its delivery on time and without cost variations. “I emphasized to them, the importance of the project being completed on time and within cost.”
Last year, a US$260.8 million contract to build the new bridge was signed between the Government of Guyana and China Railway Construction.
Italian supervisory firm, Politecnica is currently on site at the West Bank Demerara (WBD) office that was constructed for the project. The commencement order was signed in late February, for the highly anticipated crossing, scheduled for completion in 2024.
Edghill had explained that the countdown to the two-year delivery date began when the commencement order took effect and that it is expected that the project will be completed by the end of 2024.
However, weather and other natural occurrences that could cause delays are not counted in the time period.
The contract to build the new bridge was signed in May of last year. This was after months of technical and financial negotiations with the most responsive bidder – China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) – fell through.
CRCCL and their partner, China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited, who tendered for the project in a joint venture, were then selected.
In December, the Ministry of Finance announced that government had completed the electronic signing of a loan agreement with the Bank of China for €160.8 million (US$172 million) for the building of the bridge. It did not give an explanation regarding the financing model, although it was the first time this aspect of the agreement was made public.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, later explained that the loan formed part of the financing model proposed by the Chinese contractor.
