The US$260 million New Demerara River Bridge is designed to reflect the Cacique Crown of Honour (C.C.H), which stands as the second-highest award in the Order of Service of Guyana.
“The lighting at the top of the tower was designed to the shape of the Cacique Crown, which also gives the shape of local flowers,” said China’s Railway Construction (International) Limited (CRCCL) Project Manager, Zhiliang Wang.
He was at the time speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI) in an interview on Wednesday.
The new bridge, set to connect Region Three with the Capital City, is being constructed under standards set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
The Italian company, Politecnica, was appointed to oversee construction works and assess the project design to ensure works are being executed according to the project specifications.
The team consists of approximately 22 persons inclusive of local and international experts.
Politecnica team leader, Abdul Hameed revealed that various phases of the project are being undertaken simultaneously to accelerate its progress.
Currently, construction is advancing through the piling stage, with approximately 38 per cent of this phase already completed.
Hameed said, “Within the coming of three or four months all the piling work will be finished.”
In addition to the ongoing foundation work, the contractor is also engaged in constructing two pre-cast factories situated on the East and West sides of the project site.
These factories are specifically being developed to manufacture pre-cast beams for bridge construction.
“It is almost more than 60 per cent completed. So probably by month-end, the foundation for both towers will be completed,” Hameed underscored.
Assisting the contractor to construct the modernising bridge is some 650 workers. Of these, 120 are Guyanese, while 85 are Venezuelan migrants.
The bridge spanning some 2.8 kilometres with a design speed of 80 kilometres per hour aims to significantly reduce travel time and enhance accessibility between the two regions.
The main cable stay part of the bridge is approximately 570 meters long, while the approach of the bridge is 2.4 kilometres in length.
The bridge features a main tower measuring 110 metres in height with a clearance of approximately six metres high. It will also feature cyclists and walking lanes.
According to the Ministry of Public Works, Project Engineer Siddiq Khan, once completed, the bridge will be the first of its kind in South America.
He further disclosed that there will be no weight limitations or interruptions of traffic upon its completion.
“There will be no weight limit so trucks of all capacity will be able to go across and they will be able to go across very swiftly. There will be no retractions so ships are going to pass under it and no interruptions of traffic,” said Khan.
Designed with a lifespan of 100 years, the bridge’s construction is advancing smoothly, albeit with some minor hindrances. These obstacles primarily stem from material shortages and shipping delays. However, CRCCL Project Manager, Wang assured that all challenges encountered will be promptly addressed to ensure timely completion of the project.
