Bids to design, build new Berbice River Bridge still under evaluation

– VP says no rush to start works

The financial proposals that were submitted by five international companies to design and build the new fixed four-lane concrete bridge across the Berbice River are still under evaluation.
Seven firms were pre-qualified from an initial pool of nine companies, and were required to submit price quotations for the project, which will replace the current 1.57-kilometre (km) floating steel bridge across the Berbice River.
However, only five of the shortlisted firms responded and submitted their bids. These include a Joint Venture (JV) of China Railway Construction Caribbean Company Limited and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Limited, which submitted a bid of US$255.87 million; a JV of AJM Enterprise and Shandong High-Speed Road & Bridge Company Limited, with a bid of US$279.68 million; and another JV of China Railway First Group Company Limited and China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Limited, which proposed US$266.43 million.

China Road & Bridge Corporation and Vishwa Samooja Private Limited out of India, are the two lone bidders vying for the project with financial proposals to the tune of US$205.88 million and US$465.51 million respectively.
“It’s still at the evaluation stage,” Public Works Ministry Juan Edghill told the Guyana Times on Friday when asked whether a preferred bidder was selected.
The new Berbice River Bridge will be a modern fixed-span structure, eliminating the need for retractions, and ensuring continuous traffic flow for both marine and vehicular transportation. It would support ongoing economic expansion works underway across Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
As part of the project, the Government has already acquired approximately 50 properties on the eastern side of the Berbice River to facilitate construction of the new bridge.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has assured that the new bridge across the Berbice River will be built to the same modern standards as the US$260 million new Demerara River Bridge that is currently under construction by China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited.
In March, President Ali had announced that crossing at the country’s three major bridges – Demerara, Berbice and Wismar – will be free of charge from August 1, 2025.
The Head of State first introduced the idea of a new Berbice River Bridge in October 2022, and in his 2025 New Year Address back in January, he had confirmed that construction of the concrete structure will begin this year.
In fact, some $5 billion was allocated in the 2025 national budget for the construction of the new bridge across the Berbice River.
However, it is unlikely that these works would start before the General and Regional Elections, which are slated for later this year, are held.
Previously, Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had explained that the Government is cautious about undertaking major infrastructure projects before the elections are held – a position he recently reiterated.
At a press conference on Wednesday last, Jagdeo told this newspaper that even if the contract is awarded now, it would still be sometime before actual works commences.
“It takes a while to actually get mobilisation and all of that. If you award a contract, it takes weeks or maybe months to negotiate the details of the contract,” the VP stated. “So, it takes a while to even get the contract in place and then you have to deal with the finances… So, the way I see, it might be very difficult to get it done. But the commitment is, the bridge will be built – a four-lane concrete bridge. And it would be completed in the next term in office.”
The current floating Berbice River Bridge, a critical link between Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six, was constructed between 2006 and 2008 through a public-private partnership at a cost of approximately $8.2 billion. It was financed by loans and equity contributions from various entities including the state-owned National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and other private investors.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, had noted during an outreach back in March that the new bridge is expected to enhance connectivity, facilitate trade, and reduce transportation costs, paving the way for increased economic activity in Regions Five and Six.
“We have committed to building a new bridge across the Berbice River. That bridge has served us well, but as you know, that bridge also has limited capacity in terms of heavy cargo, trucks driving across the bridge; and it has limitations[on] the weight. So, we have already gone out [with] our pre-qualification process. We have now received pre-qualified forms, and by the end of March, bids will close for the New Berbice River Bridge,” Dr Singh told residents of Canje, Berbice.
According to the Minister, when completed, the pertinent piece of infrastructure will boost job creation in the region.
“If you think about it, that (the bridge) will create hundreds of jobs during the construction phrase, and once it is completed and cargo can come over, you can imagine the opportunities and the implication on the cost of goods as well,” he added.