Guyana and Suriname have settled on Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor for highly anticipated Corentyne River Bridge that will link the two South American neighbours.
Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, on Sunday confirmed to this publication that the two sides have agreed on the potential contractor.
“The evaluation committee of both Guyana and Suriname has a preferred contractor but we don’t have a contract [as yet]. We have a preferred contractor,” he stated.
According to Edghill, the contract between the contractor and the two countries will be signed as soon as the financing mechanism for the bridge is sorted out.
Both Guyana and Suriname had written the Government of China for financing of the bridge project. In fact, Surinamese President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, delivered a letter jointly signed by himself and President Dr Irfaan Ali, to President Xi Jinping during a visit back in April of this year, seeking concessional financing for the Corentyne bridge.
This publication was previously told by a senior Guyana Government official that the Chinese Government is willing to fund the project given its close bilateral relations with both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) its Member States.
However, the issue lies in Suriname’s economic situation. As part of its economic recovery programme, the Surinamese Government signed a structural adjustment programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restore its macroeconomic stability. This programme makes it difficult for the Dutch-speaking country to take out loans, hence the snag in the process of securing financing for the bridge project. Both Guyana and Suriname are meant to share the cost of the bridge construction in a 50-50 arrangement.
Back in February, President Santokhi had admitted to the challenges his country faces when it comes to securing the financing for the Corentyne River Bridge project.
“You know, our case is little bit different because we are bind by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme so we cannot take the loan. So, we need to be very pragmatic in this,” the Surinamese President had told reporters on the sidelines of the CARICOM Head of Government Meeting in Georgetown.
Initially, the plan was to have the bridge built according to a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) model. This means that whichever company is contracted to build the bridge will be responsible for its design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance. It will also be constructed via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
In October 2023, two companies – the Chinese-owned (CRBC) and Dutch engineering company, Ballast Nedam – submitted proposals to construct the bridge over the Corentyne River. However, those companies subsequently indicated that they were unable to meet the pre-financing requirement hence the move to seek funding from the Chinese Government.
Meanwhile, as the financial arrangements are being finalised, Guyana has already commenced preparatory works for the Corentyne River Bridge, which will serve as a critical structure for not just the movement of people and goods between the two countries but also for the region as well.
In July, Minister Edghill had disclosed that roads and bridges are being built from Moleson Creek to El Dorado in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) that will lead to the site of the new bridge from Guyana’s end.
The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
This bridge project is one of the first agreements between Presidents Ali and Santokhi, with both Heads previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.
Back in May of 2022, a US$2 million contract was signed in Paramaribo for several preliminary studies and research to be conducted on the Corentyne bridge by WSP Caribbean. The Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were also simultaneously launched.
In June 2023, WSP Caribbean presented the design of the Corentyne River bridge to Minister Edghill and his Surinamese counterpart, Minister Riad Nurmohamed, of a two-section structure that is connected via Long Island. The design also features a two-lane bridge with accommodation for a third lane in case of an emergency.
Running from Moleson Creek to Long Island, the bridge will be a low-level structure, approximately one kilometre long; with a 2200-metre (2.2 km) road across Long Island and a high bridge, spanning 2100 metres (2.1 km) thereafter.
At the high end of the bridge, which will facilitate marine traffic, it will cater for 40,000 to 45,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) capacity featuring a vertical (height) clearance of 43 metres and a horizonal (width) clearance of about 100 metres.
