-Edghill says not contractor’s fault
By Marcelle Thomas
The new Demerara Harbour Bridge is now projected to be completed at the end of the first quarter of next year instead of December this year, with Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, contending that it was not the fault of the contractor.
Work on the bridge is currently around 45% with consultants – Italian company, Polytechnica – reporting that as at April 28, the figure was 43.7%.
“The last report, that is as at 28th April was 43.7… Does this percentage match where they are supposed to be? No, it doesn’t. They should have been a little more advanced. The bridge is supposed to be completed by December 31st 2024,” Edghill told the Sunday Stabroek in an interview last week.
“We have had some loss in time and that is not as a result of the contractor’s fault, so we can’t penalise the contractor for that. Our revised completion date is March 2025, taking into consideration loss of time and all the rest,” he added.
Questioned about the reasons for the delay, he said it ranged from a number of issues but primarily had do to with delayed shipping that saw the company requesting force majeure for those periods lost. “The Panama Canal had low water and they had to go through the Cape Verde route to bring material in. They had what is called force majeure issues and that was calculated as no fault of the contractor,” he explained.
He further noted, “There are many things that account for this; the approval of materials by the technical people too. For example, we had to send the consultant and our project people to China to visit the company where some of the materials are being [produced], to ensure the quality [was up to standard]. And when they get the sign off, only then could they procure. So things like that took time.”
To obtain work permit clearance for staff working on the bridge also took time. “Also, the Chinese of themselves they didn’t have all their personnel in country, that is their technical people,” Edghill said.
Sand for use in the building of some parts of the structure had to be externally sourced since they required a specific grade, Edghill also pointed out.
However, the company has been able to source all of the materials needed, including special grades and types of stone, with government facilitating the speedy clearance when necessary.
“All their materials they have been able to get. We have been facilitating their clearance. They have had to get certain kinds of stone, they have had to get sand; a quality required that was not readily available in Guyana. All that they needed we have provided; the necessary logistical and administrative framework to facilitate this,” the Public Works Minister said.
The 2.6-kilometre crossing, being built by China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Ltd in a joint venture with China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company Ltd and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Company Ltd, will link Nandy Park on the East Bank Demerara with La Grange on the West Bank Demerara. It will have four lanes, with a total width of 23.6 metres including the median and the shoulders, providing sufficient room for safe and effective traffic flow.
Edghill said that work is ongoing simultaneously on the east and west sides with foundation works for the beams currently in progress.
The temporary structure was completed since early this year. He had told reporters on January 5, “Based on my inspection and the reports I have received today from the contractor, 100% of the temporary structure is completed, which I am happy for. And they are now putting in the platforms, which are required…”
He had also assured then that the project would meet this year’s deadline.
Then, he had also detailed that that the main tower, would link the 300-metre span from the western side to the eastern side of the bridge. Each of the towers will be supported by 38 steel piles. Further, each of the steel piles will require approximately 500 cubic metres of concrete.
“From the technical explanation in layman’s terms, this is about 58 trucks of concrete the contractors will be using. Note these are ready-mix trucks, and from what the contractor is telling me, one of those piles and the concrete that is used is sufficient to build a three-storey house in Guyana…,” he elaborated.
Edghill said that the landmark pouring of concrete that was done on December 5, 2023, saw work on the eastern side where eight of those piles were completed.
He said too that the bridge was being constructed in compliance with international engineering standards.
Project Engineer Patrick Thompson, alongside another employee at the Ministry of Public Works and a consultant from Polytechnica, travelled to China back in November/December for two weeks to inspect all facilities where the materials are being fabricated before shipment, he said.
He also noted that the contracted company is working 24 hours/seven days per week on the bridge project.
Edghill added that due to the magnitude and scope of the work being undertaken, it was important for the contracted company to have sufficient materials. He said Polytechnica is the consultancy firm that is overlooking the infrastructural development to ensure excellence.
Safety was also underscored, as Edghill said that they had to follow stringent measures relating to occupational health and safety. According to him, so far, the company is abiding by these rules as safety is paramount.
Currently, he said, works are forging ahead to meet the new deadline. “So works are ongoing on both sides. The gap that you see, is the high span and they are right now building the foundation for the beams that will hold the ties,” he explained by showing images taken of ongoing works.
“Remember it is a cable tie box girder bridge. So the huge section for ships passing through, you have to put high towers in the air. So they are doing the foundation for the mounting of that,” he added.
Of the 371 people employed to work on the project, 180 are Chinese, 98 Guyanese, 85 Venezuelans, 1 Cuban, 5 Trinidadians and 2 Nigerians. Notably 90 of the 371 are indirect, and 281 are direct labour.
