New Demerara Bridge: Govt negotiating “appropriate” compensation packages to acquire 40 private properties

As works accelerating on the construction of the new bridge across the Demerara River, the Guyana Government is advancing discussions with some 40 private property owners to determine the compensation packages in order to have them remove out of the path of the much-anticipated project.
Back in May 2022, the Guyana Government signed a US$260 million contract with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Limited for the new high-span four-lane bridge across the Demerara River. Since then, preparatory works have been ongoing and progressing at the site.
However, there are approximately 40 private properties that have to be compulsorily acquired by government.
According to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, S.C., that process had started a while back but got protracted. Now, efforts are being undertaken to accelerate these consultative talks in order to have those persons in path of the new bridge to relocate.
“Some 40 pieces of private properties have to be compulsorily acquired and that process has commenced,” he stated.
Nandlall noted that earlier this week, he joined his colleague Housing Minister Collin Croal and other officials to continue engaging these property owners with the aim of ironing out the compensation packages.
“We are hoping to conclude process with every convenient speed and bring this important aspect of project to an end… We had a every good engagement [on Monday] and those engagements will continue daily until we bring the matter to closure.”
“These persons have been advised that while the government will retain lawyers to sit and negotiate with each of them, they are free to retain lawyers of their choice and the response has been very good. In fact, from all indications, there is no one who is opposed to moving, and who is oppose to the process. It is simply a question of arriving at the appropriate value of the compensation to be paid,” he explained.
The Attorney General went onto point out that government has a clear and settled procedure for such situations, and were also used to similarly acquire private properties for other big projects across the country. As it is, there are several compensation options available to these 40 persons who will have to relocate in order to facilitate the construction of the new bridge.
“Government is offering several options: monetary compensation, land, house with land, and monetary compensation as well if the private property is more valuable than the land or the land and house that the government is offering,” the minister stated.
AG Nandlall further explained that the focus is to ensure that market value is the principal drive behind the acquisition of these private properties. To this end, he said the talks are geared towards achieving consensus through a meaning agreement between government and the property owners.
“At the end of the day, the government is doing everything possible to ensure the process is not an antagonistic one and that the private property owner is satisfied that he has received market value and adequate compensation for his property that is being acquired for the public purpose of the construction of the bridge,” the legal affairs minister noted.
Only earlier this week, it was reported that works on the new Demerara River bridge are progressing smoothly, with the contractor in the process of setting up temporary bridges to aid in constructing.
During Monday’s session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Ministry of Public Works’ Permanent Secretary, Vladim Persaud, was questioned on the status of the new bridge, which has a two-year implementation period.
Persaud explained that temporary bridges are being installed, as part of preparations for installing the permanent structure.
“As it is now, the company is setting forth or putting in place what is called their temporary work bridges, that will be used for the setting up and piling system that has to go in place. So, they’re at that point. Additionally, the company already has locations set up at the West Bank and also the East Bank in terms of a landing facility and operational yard,” Persaud said.
The PS explained that the temporary bridges composed of steel pilings are being imported from China. He noted that as they arrive, the installation will be done and in fact, some are already in place.
The new bridge will land at La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara and behind aback the Nandy Park/Peters Hall area on the East Bank of Demerara.
“It’s expected to land over the East Bank corridor, which is the bridge approach… approximately near to where Windsor (Estates), around that length,” the Permanent Secretary further explained to the PAC.
The new Demerara bridge will replace the current structure across the river, which has exceeded its lifespan by some 40 years. It is expected that the new bridge will be a four-lane, fixed span bridge with a lifespan of approximately 100 years.
The contractors are part of a joint venture led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited to construct the new bridge, which will land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara.
The new bridge will be a fixed 2.65-kilometre, four-lane, high-span, cable-stayed structure across the Demerara River, with the width of the driving surface being about 23.6 metres.
The bridge, which features a bicycle lane, will bring an end to closures to vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed high-span to cater for the free flow of vessels uninterrupted. The river will be dredged along a 13.5-kilometre stretch to accommodate large vessels.
In January, Mohamed’s Enterprise had announced that it had gifted the Government its US$3 million prime waterfront property at Providence, EBD, to facilitate the construction of the new Demerara River crossing. (G8)