Guyana only interest in joint development of Corentyne River Bridge – Pres Ali

– as Suriname signals intentions to solely execute project

President Dr Irfaan Ali made it clear on Tuesday that Guyana is only interested in the joint development of a bridge across the Corentyne River to connect with neighbouring Suriname. His remarks come on the heels of reports that Suriname’s Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, informed the National Assembly in Paramaribo on Monday evening that Suriname intends to fully finance and construct the bridge across the Corentyne River on its own.
While efforts by this publication to contact President Ali and other senior Government officials on the matter were futile, the Guyanese leader told local news agency Demerara Waves Online on Tuesday that he is unaware of such plans by the Surinamese Government. According to the President, the agreement from the inception was that both countries would develop the bridge jointly-the only approach Guyana is interested in.

“There is only one thing we’re interested in, and that is the joint development of the bridge, and that was the arrangement from day one,” President Ali told Demerara Waves. Moreover, the Guyanese head of state pointed to his previous engagements with his Surinamese counterpart, President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who has indicated that her country is in the process of finalising its part of the agreement. Guyana had long completed its preparations and was awaiting the Dutch-speaking nation to advance the bridge project. Only in May, Presidents Ali and Geerlings-Simons met virtually to deal with a number of issues, including movement along the Corentyne River. This comes months after the two Presidents met in Paramaribo last September and reiterated their commitment to advance the bridge project. “Madam President and I have expressed commitment from both Governments in having this signature project completed. We have agreed to have a specific coordinating group look at addressing all outstanding issues, technical, financial and legal issues, so that we can advance this project in an efficient manner,” President Ali stated at a joint press conference on September 13, 2025, in Paramaribo.

Meanwhile, President Geerlings-Simons also shared during the press briefing that since 2010, Suriname had indicated its interest in bridging the Corentyne River, which largely falls within the territory of the Dutch nation, to connect the two neighbouring countries. She pointed out that once the various technical, financial, and legal matters are sorted out, works will be fast-tracked to implement this significant infrastructure project, which will be key for further connections into South America and the Amazon region.
Based on reports coming out of Suriname, Minister Tsang, while responding to questions from the parliamentary opposition on the progress of the project, announced that Suriname intends to finance the Corentyne River Bridge from its own funds. However, he indicated that the financing structure has not yet been finalised and that they are looking at various models, including toll collection for bridge users. Moreover, the Minister added that a new tendering process may be necessary depending on the final choice. According to the Surinamese Minister, the bridge must be a Surinamese project. It was previously agreed that both Guyana and Suriname would share the cost of the bridge construction, which was initially pegged at some US$300 million, in a 50-50 arrangement. The proposed Corentyne River bridge was designed as a high-span structure that will run approximately 3.1 kilometers (km), 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.
This joint bridge project is one of the first agreements that were signed between President Ali and former Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi in their August 2020 cooperation pact. At the time, both leaders underscored the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation and creating more opportunities for development for the two nations. Since then, both Guyana and Suriname have settled on the Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge. Meanwhile, stakeholders, including the private sector, have recognised that this proposed infrastructure would play a critical role in advancing cooperation, trade, tourism, and traffic between Guyana and Suriname, replacing the current ferry service between the two neighbouring countries.