The construction of the proposed four-lane Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge is to be funded under the US$200 million financial agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told Stabroek News last week that they are looking at having the new piece of infrastructure built from the loan. His response stemmed from this newspaper’s enquiry regarding the increase of the loan from US$120 million to US$200 million.
The government had signed the US$200 million framework agreement with the IsDB for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway earlier this month.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced the plans for the new bridge earlier this year, during an outreach in Linden. “We are now designing a new bridge to cross the river here now and that would be tendered way before the end of the year,” he said according to a DPI report. The Ministry of Finance in a release subsequent to the signing said that Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh, on behalf of the Government of Guyana and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Dr Muhammad Al Jasser signed the US$200 million framework agreement for the reconstruction of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The Soesdyke-Linden Highway is a 73-kilometre-long, two-lane highway that runs between Soesdyke and Linden in Guyana. The release said that the project will see the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the highway with two lanes undivided, nine bridges and six culverts with improved design, quality and standards. It also includes ancillary works and road corridor improvements providing essential public administration support, improved connectivity with communities, roadside and other facilities.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 IsDB Group’s Annual Meetings currently underway in Saudi Arabia. Singh led Guyana’s delegation attending those meetings, the statement added. It also reminded that last September, Singh had disclosed that the administration was securing approval of financing to upgrade and repair the Soesdyke-Linden Highway based on its importance and “dire need” for an upgrade. The terms under which the financing will be disbursed were not disclosed in the press release. When the project was first announced, the cost of the road was pegged at US$120 million.
The scope of work entails milling of existing asphalt surface course, application of varying pavement structures above the milled sections of pavement inclusive of asphalt, sand asphalt and sub-base; full-depth pavement reconstruction in certain sections, construction of two roundabouts along the alignment, sidewalks extension to 9 multi-span bridges, drainage work and utility relocation, and installation of roadway lighting.
