US$262M Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge commissioned

…bridge more than convenience: a magnet for transformation, launch pad for growth – Pres Ali

The newly commissioned US$262 million bridge across the Demerara River has been named after former President and current Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, in honour of his years of service and dedication to the upliftment of Guyana and its people.

This announcement was made by President Dr Irfaan Ali during his feature address at the official commissioning of the bridge on Sunday evening.
Describing him as a giant in local politics and economy, President Ali said Dr Jagdeo has been a steady advisor, an architect and an anchor in the country’s development, working tirelessly to rebuild Guyana after dragging the country out from dark and violent times.

“A lesser man would have wilted, but Bharrat Jagdeo never blinked. He stood firm. He stood up to the bullies. He shielded democracy. He saved Guyana from being dragged back into the darkness of authoritarian rule. He was a strong spine and steady hands, that is Bharrat Jagdeo…”
“Bharrat Jagdeo is not a man who prays vanity. He does not seek monuments. He does not need limelight. But a grateful nation does itself an injustice if it fails to honour its heroes. And today, we set the record straight… Today, on behalf of a grateful people, I’m pleased to dedicate this bridge in the name of Bharrat Jagdeo. From this day forward, it shall be called the ‘Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge’ because great men deserve recognition, because visionaries deserve legacies…,” the Head of State declared to loud cheers from the thousands of persons who gathered on the eastern approach of the new bridge to witness the commissioning.

The new 50-metre fixed high-span cable-stayed Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge is a four-lane 2.6-kilometre (km) concrete structure with a cycle/pedestrian lane that stretches from Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).
Designed with a lifespan of 100 years and built by China Railway Construction (International) Limited with Politecnica as the supervisory consultant, the new bridge will operate toll-free, 24/7, with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h.

The highly-anticipated superstructure is constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of vehicular and marine traffic, which will boost the transportation of products and services throughout the nation, drastically cut down on travel time and improve connectivity between Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Mahaica-Berbice).
It replaces the decades-old Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which President Ali said served faithfully, carrying dreams, burdens and the daily journeys of thousands. However, he noted that the floating steel 1.85 kilometre structure’s time had long expired.
“Its steel plates grew weary. The bridge became a bottleneck, a source of frustration for commuters, business and families. Delays, breakdowns, traffic stalls and endless openings took their toll,” he noted.

More than convenience
According to the Guyanese leader, this new Guyana that is being developed needed a new bridge – a modern marvel that stands unshaken above the waters and is not just built for today and tomorrow, but a bridge that expands capacity, reduces congestion, lowers costs and fuels efficiency. A bridge that would be a lifeline for commerce, industry and people – something which he says that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic has delivered. “The benefits of this structure are obvious and immediate. Every commuter will feel it. Every business will benefit from it. Every investor will take note of it. The congestion that crippled productivity will ease. The hidden taxes of wasted fuel, lost hours and frustrated tempers will go slowly away. The bridge will open arteries of commerce and industrialisation…”
“It will fortify the link between Regions Three and Four. It will give Region Two a stronger outlet to the rest of the country. Supply chains will flow with greater ease. Goods will move with greater speed, costs will fall and competitiveness will rise. But this bridge is more than convenience. It is more than a transport solution. This bridge is a magnet for transformation. Beyond easing traffic, this bridge is a launch pad for growth,” the Head of State declared.
With the West Bank of the Demerara poised to become an industrial hub, President Ali noted that this new bridge will serve as both a gateway and an engine of that transformation as factories, logistic centres, housing developments and commercial hubs all rise in its shadow. He added too that it will open new corridors of development, putting jobs, investment and opportunities into communities that will flourish in its orbit.
“This bridge is therefore not just a crossing. It is a catalyst… What we have built here is one of, if not the, finest bridges in the English-speaking Caribbean and the CELAC region… This bridge is more than a marvel of engineering. It conveys a statement carved in steel and concrete. You see, infrastructure is not merely a physical structure. Infrastructure is also a statement. It is a signal to the world that a nation is ready. And this bridge speaks loudly, declaring ‘Guyana is ready.’ Ready to modernise, ready to industrialise, ready to claim its place in the 21st Century of a world economy,” Dr Ali stated.
As a symbol of the new Guyana, prosperity being born and transformation in action, the President noted that importantly, the bridge represents a symbol of inclusion and will serve all Guyanese regardless of their class, region or creed.
Reminding that the new bridge was financed by wisely-managed oil revenues, President Ali says it a proof that his administration is not squandering the country’s resources.
“This bridge is proof that our resources are not squandered. They are reinvested into the future… This bridge is your gift. It is a gift of a government that believes in the people. It is a gift of a generation to those unborn… Like the sea walls of the 19th century, this bridge will become a defining icon of Guyanese identity in the 21st Century. This bridge is our coming of age investment.”
“This bridge proves that Guyana can dream big and act boldly. This bridge is the evidence that the impossible is possible. This bridge is a monument of a nation rising and yes, let us say it without apology, it took the PPP Civic to make this bridge happen. Others talked, others puff and deluded themselves that they could build a bridge of this kind. Then there were those that doubted and delayed, but we acted. We dared. We delivered like only our government can,” President Ali asserted.