US$260M New Demerara River bridge 67.8% completed – Edghill

…says project on track for March 31, 2025 deadline

Construction of the US$260 million new Demerara River Bridge is approximately 67.8 per cent completed.
This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill,
who inspected the pertinent piece of infrastructure on Thursday and provided media operatives with a comprehensive breakdown of works thus far completed in respect to several aspects of the bridge.
While most of the ongoing work is between 12 and 98 per cent complete, works have recently commenced on other sections, including the west approach roadway and deck spans.

During his engagement with the media, Edghill disclosed that the new facility is on track for the March 31, 2025 completion deadline.
In responding to questions about the bridge’s sustainability, he explained that the structure has a life span of 100 years, and maintenance works will be conducted every two years to ensure its cables, which have a life span of 60 years, remain effective.
“Even though we don’t anticipate an earthquake in the design, the bridge is built to deal with an earthquake situation, including the structure and foundation. We are drilling the bares down and we’ll carry you to show how deep they are going (in order) to ensure that we get stability…,” he explained.
“We want to assure the nation that this project, which was undertaken by the Government of Guyana, was (undertaken) with all the necessary seriousness and diligence in ensuring quality,” Edghill declared.

Further, Edghill told the media that the bridge, being built by a contracting consortium led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited (CRCCL), has security features included in its design to safeguard against collisions.
“The same way aircraft operate in terms of getting safely to a runway, and the aids of navigation which means there has to be communication between the tower and the craft, MARAD, the Lighthouse and the Chief Pilot will operate. Because boats coming into Guyana are not driven by our pilots, but once it gets to our channel, a local pilot goes on board and brings the ship through, so that communication and the aids to navigation, technology and actual markers are always in place,” he explained.
The new Demerara River Bridge would land aback Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD). A massive 650-body workforce is working to advance the project. Of these, 120 are Guyanese while 85 are Venezuelan migrants.
Back in 2022, $21.1 billion had been allocated towards work on the bridge. The CRCCL (International)-led joint venture outbid four other prequalified international companies that submitted proposals for the project.

In the months before the contract was awarded, the Guyana Government, through a team of specialists – legal and engineering – was in negotiation with the Chinese company to finalise the terms of the contract.
The new bridge would 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, would bring to an end the closure of vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed-high span to cater for the free and uninterrupted flow of vessels. The river would be dredged along a 13.5-kilometre stretch to accommodate large vessels.
This new bridge would replace the ageing floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which has outlived its lifespan by several decades.
With a length of 1.25 miles (2.01km), the current Demerara Harbour Bridge 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.
Specifically, this new bridge would provide better connectivity to the East Bank of Demerara, the Diamond-to-Ogle bypass road on the eastern side of the river, as well as the WBD roads, including the Parika-to-Schoonord road on the western side of the river.
The new bridge is a critical component of the Government’s drive to expand and modernise Guyana’s transport infrastructure, and would address the challenges faced by users of the current bridge by providing safe, efficient, and effective crossing.
Upon completion, it is also expected to lay the groundwork for other economic opportunities for Regions Three and Four, including agriculture development, tourism, construction, housing and commerce.