Works progressing on access road to new Demerara River Bridge

With less than a month before the scheduled deadline for the completion of the new Demerara River Bridge, workers are accelerating efforts on the access road that is being built to take the traffic on and off the bridge.
During a recent site visit to check on the progress, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill also inspected the ongoing road construction on the eastern side of the new bridge. There, a four-lane road is being built out to take the bridge traffic directly to the Heroes Highway where a roundabout is being built.
Minister Edghill subsequently told the Guyana Times that efforts are being made to have the road works completed at the same time as the bridge.

“We are working towards having the road completed by August 31,” the Public Works Minister noted, adding that “There are six different contractors that are working and all are at different stages of readiness, and they are working.”
Only last week, President Irfaan Ali told this newspaper: “We’re hoping…the roads coming on and off of the bridge, that all of that would be completed.”
Similar assurances, the Head of State noted, were given for the completion of new Demerara River Bridge by the August 31 deadline. “From everything the Minister [Edghill] would have told me, the sealing of the bridge which is the completion of the bridge [surface] will be done and the structural completion will be there… So, that’s what we’re working on.” The four-lane fixed high-span cable-stay bridge is yet to be fully linked with three sections currently remaining to be connected on the structure. Following the site visit on Thursday last, the Public Works Ministry noted that the bridge would be fully connected in the coming weeks.
According to the Ministry, “Works on the New Demerara River Bridge are moving apace with the full 2.9-kilometre (km) concrete structure to be completely connected by August 25.” During the site visit, Minister Edghill was briefed on the progress of the works by the contractor and consultant. He also witnessed the paving of asphalt and other ongoing installation works. “All efforts are being done to ensure the completion of the bridge for its August 31 timeframe,” the Ministry indicated.

The new bridge would be a 2.65-km fixed four-lane, high-span, cable-stayed structure across the Demerara River with the width of the driving surface being about 23.6 metres. With features like a bicycle lane, the new bridge will replace the ageing floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) and would bring an end to 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-km stretch to accommodate large vessels.
Once completed, the new bridge and extensive road upgrades along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) are expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion and travel time. The bridge will connect Regions Three and Four, improving economic activity with accommodation for vehicles of all sizes and a speed limit of 80-km/h.
Designed to last at least 100 years, the new Demerara River Bridge will also feature the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH), Guyana’s second-highest national award, as part of its design. Moreover, the new bridge is expected to not only enhance travel experience and ease traffic congestion but also offer toll-free crossing.
In fact, as of August 1, the Guyana Government has removed the tolls at the three major bridges across Guyana – the Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Berbice River Bridge and the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge. With the removal of the tolls, President Ali has already assured that the toll booth workers will not be placed on the breadline. “Not a single employee would lose their job. We’ll be upskilling, retooling and redeploying. There is enough space in the system for the deployment and integration of everyone. So, we have absolutely no issue in relation to any worker being under-utilised or losing their job,” the Head of State noted.
As a matter of fact, President Ali explained that the workers would be upskilled to take up roles in managerial positions, accounting, auditing and in the technical area as well. “We’ll still need service personnel on the new bridge and also with the expanded nature of the Ministries – the widened area of service and responsibility, we need more people. So, everyone will be absorbed in the system. There is absolutely no worry about that,” the Guyanese Leader assured.