Designed for generations to come: New US$35M Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge set for November 15 opening

The newly constructed four-lane Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), is set to be formally opened in two weeks’ time.
In a statement on Saturday, the Public Works Ministry announced that President Dr Irfaan Ali will officially commission the new bridge on Sunday, November 15, at 16:00h. According to the missive, the bridge is substantially completed and has been formally handed over to the Ministry of Public Works by the contractor, China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co. Ltd.

This handover followed load testing exercises done earlier this month ahead of the opening, which was initially slated for October 5 but was postponed. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had previously told the Guyana Times that the load tests were successful.
“Everything is completed and successful,” the Minister had indicated.
During the exercise, five heavy-laden trucks weighing 180 tonnes each were used to test the modern 220-meter pre-stressed concrete structure.
Constructed at a cost of US$35 million, the new bridge is a modern, durable structure designed to serve Linden and the hinterland for generations.
Its key features include a 224-metre prestressed, post-tensioned concrete box girder superstructure spanning the Demerara River at Linden; four vehicular lanes – replacing the existing single-lane crossing; and two barrier-separated pedestrian walkways for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Moreover, the new fixed-high span structure also features a maximum horizontal navigational clearance of 36 metres and a vertical clearance of 10 metres, allowing vessels to continue navigating the river uninterrupted. Modern street lighting along the full length of the bridge also allows for safe night-time travel. The bridge will be toll-free use for all motorists and pedestrians, in keeping with the Government’s commitment to the people of Linden.
Additionally, the bridge is also complemented by new eastern and western approach roads that tie it into the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, the Linden-Mabura Road and the wider national road network. Those new road features include four-lane approach roads with medians, traffic islands and curbing, and a modern roundabout at each end of the bridge, on the eastern (Mackenzie) and western (Wismar) banks, to manage traffic safely and efficiently.
On the western (Wismar) side, the West Watooka Connector and Dacoura Haul Roads is coupled together with the Burnham Drive approach; on the eastern (Mackenzie) side, an embankment built on improved foundations with prefabricated vertical drains, geotextiles and retaining structures, and a new culvert at the Washer Pond Road approach at Noitgedacht.
Works on new drainage culverts and road lighting along the approaches were also done. The Public Works Ministry commended the contractors, consultants, engineers and workers for their dedication that has brought this project to completion. The new US$35 million bridge replaces a crossing built by the Demerara Bauxite Company in 1966-1967 with a single-lane railway track, originally to move bauxite from the West Bank mines to the processing plant on the East Bank.
According to the Ministry, the new four-lane high-span will end the long delays of the one-lane crossing and allow the free, safe and simultaneous flow of traffic between Mackenzie and Wismar. “It strengthens the vital corridor to the hinterland via the Linden-Mabura Road and the Linden-Lethem Road, supporting commerce, mining, agriculture, tourism and the daily lives of thousands of residents. The bridge stands as another milestone in the Government of Guyana’s programme of transformative infrastructure, delivered for the people of Guyana,” the ministry noted. The general public, and in particular the residents of Linden and across Region 10, are invited to attend the upcoming commissioning ceremony on November 15, 2026.