Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, has revealed that works are currently ongoing to have arrangements for constructing the new Demerara Harbour Bridge.
An artist’s impression of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge (Ministry of Public Infrastructure rendering)
On Wednesday, during the Budget 2020, Minister Edghill explained that expressions of interest (EoI) for the design, construction, and financing options for the four-lane high-span bridge are currently being addressed.
“This Honourable House will recall the impropriety surrounding the conduct of the feasibility study for the bridge and the feeble effort to launch an Expression of Interest (EOI), which was a phenomenal adventure in incompetence. Within the last few weeks, we have re-kindled huge interest in this project,” Minister Edghill said.
After it assumed office in 2015, the former administration said that it would be feasible to have the existing bridge untouched and to construct another link somewhere in the vicinity of the 42-year-old link.
The former government had commissioned a feasibility study, which was awarded to the Dutch Company, LivenseCSO.
The new Demerara River Bridge is expected to connect Houston on the East Bank of Demerara and Versailles on the West Bank.
The new Demerara Harbour Bridge’s construction will ease the burden that commuters faced while traversing the West Coast and West Bank to the East Bank.
[Extracted and Modified from Guyana Chronicle]
