Trinidad-based consultants, WSP Caribbean, have designed and proposed a two-section bridge connected by an island in the Corentyne River to link Guyana and Suriname.
The design of the bridge was unveiled yesterday during the second high-level decision makers meeting (HLDM) when the consulting team made a detailed presentation on the feasibility and design of the new infrastructure.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill yesterday hosted his ministerial counterpart Dr. Riad Nurmohanmed of Suriname and a technical team from WSP Caribbean.
The HLDM, a release from the public works ministry had said, is a milestone activity of the consultancy where the key experts from WSP Caribbean will present the main findings and key considerations and field questions from the Guyana and Suriname teams. The first HLDM was held in Suriname from February 27-28, 2023.
The cost of the bridge along with other reports on the traffic projections/forecasts, financial and economic evaluation, environmental assessment, legal framework, and the design of the roads, among other technical aspects, are yet to be finalised.
WSP in explaining their design said the bridge will feature two lanes and will be able to accommodate a third in cases of emergencies or controlled conditions.
The bridge superstructure will have a total deck width of 12.4 metres including lanes and shoulders with the carriageway measuring 10.05 metres. It will also have utilities inside the box girder with an internal inspection path width, an on-top inspection path; wearing surface: extra concrete thickness, milled after closure. The bridge will feature steel railing along with solar-powered luminaires at the deck slab edge, next to the deck inspection path, the WSP Caribbean representative stated.
From Guyana’s end, the bridge will be 1100 metres with 22 spans each measuring 50 metres in length while at Suriname’s end it will feature an elevated section.
That section of the bridge will comprise two zones. Zone ‘A’ East it was explained will consist of 20 spans at 1,000 metres and Zone ‘A’ West with 19 spans at 950 metres. The WSB representative indicated that in Zone ‘B’ which is referred to as the Main Bridge, will consist of 80 to 130-metre spans. Further, they noted that all the main bridge’s piers are protected against ship impact and piers in the access bridges are protected by guiding monopile dolphins connected through tethered floating fenders.
Edghill, who spoke briefly, said that both sides are hoping to have a contract in place by October of this year with bids scheduled to be opened by August 1. The public works minister noted that both countries will independently evaluate the bids and then meet, discuss, and share their thoughts before selecting the most competitive bidder. Once both sides agree with the most suitable bidder they will proceed to engage the contractor.
“We intend to have a contract signed by October of 2023 and then we can go into mobilisation and actual construction. This is a project that should not suffer any delays, as a matter of a fact we need to be moving it along. And that is one of the reasons why we provided information ahead of the final report to get things moving so that we can get submissions at this time,” Edghill stated.
Suriname’s Dr Nurmohamed also stated that he was happy with the progress made to date before stating, “Building the bridge is very high on the agenda for both countries… from our side, we will continue our work based on what studies have said.”
The Corentyne River Bridge will be constructed via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement and according to the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model (DBFOM). This means that the successful contractor of joint venture will be responsible for its final design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance, the release explained.
The list of pre-qualified contractors/joint ventures are: China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC); China Railway Construction International Ltd (CRCCI), China Railway Construction Caribbean Co Ltd (CRCCCL), and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd (CRBG); Ballast Nedam Infra Suriname B.V.; China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC); and China Overseas Engineering Group Co Ltd (COVEC), China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREEC), and China Railway First Group (CRRG);
In May last year a US$2 million agreement was inked with WSP Caribbean Limited for the Feasibility Study and Design for the Bridge over the Corentyne River.
At the signing ceremony, the Surinamese Technical Assistant for Capital Infrastructure Projects, Kees Boender, related that the contract is expected to last for seven months and after which both governments would be in a position to advertise the tender for the construction of the bridge by late 2022 or early 2023.
He added that they are looking at a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement using the design, build, finance, operate, and maintain (DBFOM) model.
The bridge will be located in the vicinity of the existing ferry stations between the two countries from South Drain in Suriname to Moleson Creek in Berbice. It is expected to be a high bridge with a horizontal clearance of 100 metres and a vertical clearance of 43 metres between South Drain and Lange Island in the Corentyne River to allow the passage of ships between 40 to 45,000 lbs deadweight tonnage.
From Lange Island to Moleson Creek the bridge would be much lower with a height of about 6 metres.
In November of 2020, and during a three-day visit by President Irfaan Ali to Suriname, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the joint bridging of the Corentyne River.
Yesterday, Boender said that the bridge would be similar to the one in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo. He noted that the contract with WSP will entail a lot of studies along with a preliminary design for the bridge.
“Those studies are to get a better insight into all aspects of the bridge because later on we have to make a deal, a PPP deal, and it’s better to have all the details known to you. All the financial ins and outs to be investigated to lower the risk and to get better a PPP deal,” he said.
Highest priority
At the signing Edghill said that the bridge is one of the highest priorities of both governments with the intent to drive economic activity along with ensuring the increased efficiency of trade, rapid exchange of ideas and quick access to services for those who need them most.
“Cooperation at this level means less delays and more progress for both of our populations. The Corentyne River Bridge is both a physical connection between two landmasses as well as a social connection between two peoples.
“When completed, it will forge stronger cultural bonds and encourage more knowledge-sharing activities across our common borders. It will be a lasting symbol of the friendship, innovation and determination of two neighbours not content to have the tide or the currents of the Corentyne River impact our face to face interaction nor stymie our advancement. Further, this bridge will truly transform future travels between Georgetown and Paramaribo resulting in increased efficiency and safety,” the minister was quoted as saying.
He added that citizens of both countries are constrained by the schedule and carrying capacity of the ferry and with the bridge that would become a thing of the past. He explained that the bridge would also open both countries to increased tourism.
“The bridge will be strategically designed to pass through the untouched Lange Island, an island on the Corentyne River with enormous potential for commercialization and development of a free trade zone with hotels, resorts and all forms of entertainment that will attract tourists to Guyana and Suriname.
“On the oil and gas front, Guyana and Suriname are new but bona fide players in the energy sector both offshore and onshore. The Corentyne Bridge will provide easy access to deep water facilities in Guyana and Suriname. The movement of goods and services to support offshore activities will require space, hence Guyana and Suriname can take advantage of the economies of scale to be derived in this regard,” Edghill said.
The minister said that the inking of the agreement marks a major milestone in the overall goal of the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge adding that it expresses the steadfast commitment of both governments to improving the lives of their citizens through efficient transportation policies and state of the art infrastructure.
