The Takatu Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte do Rio Tacutu) is a relatively small bridge between the sprawling giant, Brazil, and its neighbour on the Atlantic Coast, Guyana. This bridge has the potential for contributing significantly to Guyana’s economic development and the export potential of Brazil’s northern region.
By JodyB – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3888312
One of the narrowest point at which the Brazil and Guyana borders connect is on the Takatu River, alongside which lie the State of Roraima in Brazil and Lethem in Guyana in which the bridge links. Moreover, for centuries the native peoples of the area – the Amerindian tribes – have been traversing the river and cohabiting with each other.
The Takutu River Bridge is a bridge across the Takutu River, It was completed in 2009 and was opened on 31 July 2009. Its official inauguration was on 14 September 2009, in the presence of leaders of both countries. The overall cost was 5 million USD and was paid for by Brazil.
The bridge is the only instance in the Americas of a land border where drivers must change from driving on the left (in Guyana) to driving on the right (in Brazil), or vice versa. The changeover is achieved by means of crossover lanes.
The Crossover Lanes
Purpose/Uses of the bridge
Now, the bridge built across the Takatu River is a collaboration of the Brazilian government, with the full agreement of the Guyanese government. The bridge is capable of carrying heavy vehicles to transport containers with a wide variety of commodities as well as people.
The Takatu Bridge is reported to be one of 335 projects identified by the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America. That is, an initiative by South American Governments to construct a new infrastructural network for the continent, including roads, waterways, ports, and energy and communications interconnections. The purpose is to provide a framework that will make it possible to transport goods and people across all of South America by road.
Transportation of commodities
The View From Under
Guyana is now well-placed to benefit from the Takatu Bridge because it allows Brazilian businessmen from Brazil’s northern-most State of Roaraima to truck commodities through Guyana to a port on Guyana’s Atlantic coast and then to markets in North America and Europe. This method is said to be considerably cheaper for businesses that now have to transport goods across the vastness of Brazil to its far-away ports. The Takatu bridge was seen as the first necessary path to the Guyana.
Trade relations
Adding to the fact that the bridge provides the means for Brazilian products to be exported more cheaply through Guyana, it also offers the opportunity for Guyana to market its products into Brazil.
Relations between Guyana and Brazil have always been solid. As a result, the Brazilian government held a seminar in Guyana for Guyanese business people on how to do business in Brazil. Brazil is one of the few South American countries that accepted its borders on independence from the Portuguese and have made no territorial claims on its neighbours. In the continuing claim by Venezuela for two-thirds of Guyana, the Brazilian government has been a steady voice of reason and support.
Good neighbourliness
Over the last few years, there has been a steady influx of Brazilians into Guyana.
There are approximately 3,000 Brazilians now working gold mines in Guyana and making a good living from it while contributing to the economy. Due to this they have brought in new technology and are getting higher production yields. Consequently, the government is getting more taxes, and the Guyana Gold Board which purchases the production is selling it on the international market at a profit.
Brazilians have also drifted into Georgetown, Guyana’s Capital City, and have opened various businesses including one of its most popular restaurants.
Unlike the treatment accorded to Guyanese in several Caribbean countries, the Guyanese have been extremely accommodating of the Brazilians and the government has sought to regularise the status of those who entered the country illegally.
The understanding and good neighbourliness between Brazil and Guyana is at such a high level that each country is allowing nationals of the other to enter each other’s country up to a point where documents are not required.
Hence, theoretically Guyanese nationals can travel as far as Boa Vista in Roraima State, and Brazilians can go as far as Annai, an area in the Essequibo River.
Reports indicate that border controls are now being established in Boa Vista and Annai, but it is an indication of the openness of the two countries to each other that this system can operate at all.
Article References
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2009/02/090212_sanders_brazil.shtml
- https://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/business/01/11/the-takatu-bridge/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takutu_River_Bridge
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