A sum of $19.7 billion has been budgeted to advance construction of the new Demerara River Bridge, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced today.
The US$260 million contract for the bridge was signed in May 2022 and the contract has a two-year implementation period.
The new Demerara bridge will replace the current structure across the river, which has exceeded its lifespan. It is expected that the new bridge will be a four-lane, fixed-span bridge with a lifespan of approximately 100 years.
The contractors are part of a joint venture led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited to construct the new bridge, which will land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara.
Back in 2022, $21.1 billion was allocated towards work on the bridge.
The new bridge will 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, will bring an end to closures to vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed high-span to cater for the free flow of vessels uninterrupted. The river will be dredged along a 13.5-kilometre stretch to accommodate large vessels.
