US$260M contract signed for new Demerara River Bridge

– construction to commence immediately with a 2-year
deadline for completion

In a matter of two years, Guyanese residing on both the western and eastern sides of the Demerara River will have much relief when it comes to traveling as a US$260 million contract for the new bridge was signed early Wednesday morning.
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.
Construction works are slated to commence immediately and will last for some two years.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill noted that this was the largest contract for a transport infrastructure project ever financed by the Guyana Government. He pointed out that the daily traffic across the Demerara River increased by 62 per cent over the past decade, and it contributed to heightened congestion, discomfort and frustration among the public.

“The signing of this contract today is truly monumental and will lead to construction activities never before witnessed in our urban space. There’s going to be some inconveniences on the land side as well as on the river – perhaps even in the air – over the next two years, as piles are driven on the land and in the water or as sand is transported to the worksite or as the towers are constructed to connect this cable-stay section of the bridge. But at the end of the inconvenience, we will have achieved monumental progress and development,” Edghill said.
The Public Works Minister reassured that the bridge would be delivered within the specified timeline of two years
The contract was awarded to a joint venture led by China Railway and Construction Corporation (International) Limited, which outbid four other pre-qualified international companies that submitted proposals for the project. Over the past few months, the Guyana Government, through a team of specialists – legal and engineering – was in negotiations with the Chinese company to finalise the terms of the contract.
Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan noted this project was reflective of China’s continuous support and push for its Private Sector to play a part in the development of Guyana. She noted that this new bridge would be a landmark project in Guyana with unimaginable benefits to people on both sides of the river.
“This new bridge will effectively promote the flow of people and logistics on both sides of the river, save economic and time costs of transportation, and promote regional development. We expect that by working hand in hand by all parties, the project will be smoothly promoted and completed with high quality as planned. The Chinese Government encourages competent Chinese enterprises to cooperate with Guyanese partners to make their contribution to the economic and social development of Guyana,” the Chinese diplomat stated.

Guyana and China are celebrating 50 years of bilateral ties this year and according to Ambassador Guo, this is an ideal opportunity to promote greater development of those relations with a solid foundation and broad prospects.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh spoke of the hours Guyanese have lost owing to the current Demerara Harbour Bridge, noting that his Government was committed to bringing relief to the people of the country.
“We will work diligently to seek to alleviate every source of inconvenience and hardship that you’ve endured over the years, because our duty is to ensure that we make life better for all Guyanese and that is our commitment… This Government’s commitment is to achieve a real visible, tangible, meaningful and lasting transformation of all aspects of life for the benefit of all of the people of Guyana, and this bridge constitutes an important part of that much broader agenda,” he asserted.
Dr Singh further noted that Wednesday’s contract signing came on the heels of several other major infrastructural projects being undertaken across the country that would transform the landscape of Guyana.
“We are witnessing history today and not history in the sense of a one-off isolated project, but history in the sense of a major transformative project that is part of a much larger comprehensive plan for transforming Guyana. To put it very simply, my Guyanese brothers and sisters – the making of the ‘Modern Guyana’ is well underway and we, today’s generation of Guyanese, are incredibly privileged not only to witness the making of ‘Modern Guyana’, but to be a part of it,” the Finance Minister stressed.
Back in November 2021, Cabinet had granted its no-objection for the Chinese company to construct the bridge using a Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model. The bridge will land aback Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on the eastern side and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on the western side.
Already, the Guyana Government has allocated some $21.1 billion in the 2022 Budget towards work on the bridge. It will have a lifespan of 100 years.
This new bridge will replace the aging floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which has outlived its lifespan by several decades.
At 1.25 miles (2.01km), the current Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of Demerara, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, people, and cargo.
According to Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, this step towards achieving a new bridge across the Demerara River is the fulfilment of a manifesto promise of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration.
Moreover, Education Minister Priya Manickchand contended that the new bridge will bring much relief to students who have to travel every day to and from schools in Georgetown.
As the PPP/C’s Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) Representative in the National Assembly, Manickchand posited that benefits would also be seen by residents from that and other surrounding regions as it relates to reduced travel time as well as access to and movement of goods and services.