Government will soon engage Chinese contractor China Railway Construction Corporation Limited in negotiations for the construction of a four-lane bridge at Wismar, across the Demerara River.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, at a recent press conference, revealed that the bridge is pegged to cost US$35 million.
“We are at a stage where we are ready to start the negotiations. We have had three offers and when the details emerge you will see the offers we received were very very competitive…,” Jagdeo said.
He pointed out the negotiations on behalf of government will be done by the team comprising Sukrishnalall Pasha (Finance Secretary), Ronald Burch-Smith (Attorney), Teni Housty (Attorney), and Marcel Gaskin (Consultant/Engineer). This is the same team that negotiated for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge. China Railway Construction Corporation Limited is the same company that was awarded the contract for the construction of that bridge.
Vice President Jagdeo had announced the plans for the new bridge earlier this year, during an outreach in Linden. The bridge is being funded under a US$200 million financial agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told Stabroek News that the sum was increased from US$120 million to US$200 million to cater for the construction of the bridge.
That sum will also cover the reconstruction of the 73-kilometre-long, two-lane Soesdyke-Linden Highway, which runs between Soesdyke and Linden in Guyana and other infrastructural projects.
In 2020, a an elevated precast concrete girder bridge equipped with two traffic lanes and a footpath had been proposed to replace the existing Wismar Bridge, which had deteriorated over the years. However, the design is now amended to accommodate four lanes of traffic.
The design of the bridge was unveiled by Italy-based engineering firm – Politecnica Ingegneria ed Architettura Società Cooperativa – which was contracted by then Ministry of Public Infrastructure to conduct a feasibility study and prepare detailed designs for the construction.
Assistant Project Manager Francisco Reina explained that from the feasibility study they were able to generate four different designs for the new bridge. However, the best option, he said, was the precast concrete girder bridge, which is similar to the design of the existing bridge.
He stated that this bridge features a mid-range elevation with five spans at 44 metres each. It is structurally recommended and will be constructed to accommodate all types of vehicles in Guyana.
The new location of the bridge over the Demerara River is proposed to be in proximity to the existing bridge. In the design it was also proposed that roundabouts be constructed at both ends of the bridge to accommodate an easy flow of traffic and have a multi-thoroughfare access.
Reina explained that the design for the bridge was developed after a number of criteria were considered.
Before arriving at the design, a traffic impact study was carried out to cater for the volume of traffic extrapolated 20 years into the future.
The bridge carries a minimum lifespan of 50 years with limited maintenance. However, with an effective maintenance programme in place, the bridge can last longer. The mid-range of bridge will be elevated to 11 metres.
Politecnica Ingegneria ed Architettura Società Cooperativa in association with Marcel Gaskin and Associates had tendered a US$700,000 bid for the project.
