New Demerara River Bridge: Political roadblocks, Opposition ‘stalling tactics’ caused delay – Edghill

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, has attributed delays in the construction of the much-anticipated new Demerara River Bridge to political maneuvering and deliberate efforts to stall progress.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the new bridge across the Demerara River, which was already extended from 2024 year-end to a March 2025 completion, has been given up to August 31 for completion.
Speaking candidly on the matter, Edghill defended the project’s extended completion timeline, emphasising the technical requirements for the bridge and challenges posed by opposition-driven resistance.
“It was a big political move to stall the construction of the bridge,” Edghill stated.
“I didn’t want to go heavy political, but lawyers and the quantity of surveyors who hyped those residents up were all political types, some of them members of Parliament” he added, alleging that opposition members incited residents to resist relocation efforts critical to advancing the project.

According to the Minister, some residents, guided by politically affiliated lawyers and quantity surveyors, rejected Government compensation offers in pursuit of inflated valuations, only to later receive court judgments less favorable than the Government’s original offers.
“Let me tell you what is the reality. Some of the people ended up getting judgment at the court, less than what the Government was offering them. That is the level of representation that the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change) give to people… So, if we’re going to talk about the delays on the bridge, it’s the local politics of division and destruction that is seeking to hinder Guyana’s development. We have been able to work with the Chinese and salvage the timelines, put things in place, and we’re going to get this bridge” Edghill told media operatives at his End of Year press conference on Saturday.

Technical constraints
Edghill clarified that construction delays were also influenced by the nature of the bridge’s design. As a cable-stayed structure, it requires significant curing time for concrete, making certain tasks unavoidable regardless of workforce size.
“Even if I put twice the amount of workers on the project, we still have to wait in terms of time for concrete to cure,” he explained.
Highlighting the commitment of the contractors, Edghill noted that both Chinese and local workers have been engaged, working through holidays such as Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day to ensure progress.
Despite these setbacks, Edghill assured the public that the project remains on track. “We’ve salvaged timelines, put measures in place, and are committed to delivering a four-lane bridge that will benefit all citizens.”

Back in September, Edghill had reported that the Demerara River Bridge project was some 67.8 per cent completed, but during the End of Year press conference yesterday it was noted that the bridge is 61.72 per cent complete.
The temporary Trestle Bride and Working Platform is 100 per cent complete, Drilled Shaft (East) 78 per cent complete, Drill Shaft (West) 100 per cent complete, East Approach Piers 50 per cent complete, West Approach Piers 87 per cent complete, Main Tower Leg 78 per cent complete, Main Tower Cross Beam 50 per cent complete, Fabrication of Precast Girders (East) 24 per cent complete, Precast Girders (West) 22 per cent complete, Installation of Precast Girders (East) 6 per cent complete, Precast Girders (West) 13 per cent complete, Eastern Approach road 60 per cent complete and Western Approach Road 46 per cent complete.
The new bridge would land aback Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD). A massive 650-person workforce is working to advance the project. Of these, 120 are Guyanese while 85 are Venezuelan migrants.
The new bridge will be a fixed, 2.65-kilometre (km), four-lane, high-span, cable-stayed structure across the Demerara River, with the width of the driving surface being about 23.6 metres (m). It will feature a bicycle lane, and would bring to an end bridge closures for vehicular traffic with a 50-m fixed high span to cater for the free and uninterrupted flow of vessels. The river would be dredged along a 13.5-km stretch to accommodate large vessels.
This new fixed high-span structure would replace the aged floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which has outlived its lifespan by several decades.
With a length of 1.25 miles (2.01km), the DHB is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of the Demerara River, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, persons and cargo.