Corentyne bridge contract to be awarded by October 2023

…CHEC, China Railway Engineering among 5 bidders

The Corentyne bridge contract that will connect Guyana and Suriname, is expected to be awarded by October 2023, following the brokering of an agreement at a high-level meeting between officials from the two countries and the pre-qualification of five bidders, most of them Chinese companies.

A joint statement was released from the two sides on Tuesday. In it, it was explained that five bidders – most from China – have been pre-qualified for the project. These companies include China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). Ballast Nedam Infra Suriname BV, the lone non-Chinese company, was also prequalified.
Meanwhile, China Railway Construction Corporation International Ltd (CRCCI), China Railway Construction Caribbean Co Ltd (CRCCCL), and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd (CRBG) teamed up to bid as a consortium. They were also prequalified.
Additionally, the remaining companies who were prequalified are China Overseas Engineering Group Co Ltd (COVEC), China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREEC), and China Railway First Group (CRRG), who also bid as a consortium.
The statement also confirmed the impending visit of Surinamese Minister of Public Works, Dr Riad Nurmohamed, from June 28-29, 2023. While in Guyana, he will attend a second High-Level Decision Makers (HLDM) Meeting.
“This meeting heralds the culmination of the consultancy assignment that was awarded to WSP Caribbean in May 2022 for the feasibility study and detailed designs for the construction of a bridge over the Corentyne River.”

“The HLDM Meeting 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 delegations. The first HLDM Meeting was held in Suriname from February 27-28, 2023,” the statement also said.
It was further explained that while in Guyana, Dr Nurmohamed will meet with Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill to discuss matters relating to the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge. So far, tender documents were issued to the five prequalified contractors on May 9, 2023, which will close on August 1, 2023.
The bridge will be built according to the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model (DBFOM). This means that whichever company is contracted to build the bridge will be responsible for its design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance. It will also be constructed via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The bridge is one of the first agreements between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, with both heads previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.
Last year, Minister Edghill was in Suriname to sign a ceremonial agreement between the two countries to kickstart plans for the massive project. The Surinamese Public Works Minister has positioned that with this important infrastructure in place, both countries will benefit from a tremendous spinoff as it opens South America.
President Ali had disclosed that the financial proposal for the new bridge across the Corentyne River would be out by the end of January, thus paving the way for the tendering process and then the construction stage.
Back in May of 2022, a US$2 million contract was signed in Paramaribo for several preliminary studies and research to be conducted on the Corentyne bridge by WSP Caribbean. The Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were also simultaneously launched.
Six international companies/consortiums – five from China and one Dutch company from The Netherlands – had submitted bids for the construction of the Corentyne River bridge. The bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in Georgetown back in August.
The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
Running from Moleson Creek to Long Island, the bridge will be a low-level structure, approximately one kilometre long; with a 2200-metre (2.2 km) road across Long Island and a high bridge, spanning 2100 metres (2.1 km) thereafter.
At the high end of the bridge, which will facilitate marine traffic, it will cater for 40,000 to 45,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) capacity featuring a vertical (height) clearance of 43 metres and a horizonal (width) clearance of about 100 metres. (G3)