The government has issued tenders to construct the four-lane approach road, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), to the new Demerara River Bridge, an important component in the transformative project.
According to the invitation for bids, issued by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) under the Ministry of Housing and Water, the project is being done in six lots with a timeline of seven months per lot being laid down.
It was further explained that the contracts would be awarded to the lowest evaluated and qualified bidder, with successful bidders being restricted to only one lot per contractor in a given project area.
“However, a bidder may be considered for award for more than one lot, provided that bidder has shown sufficient equipment capacity, financial capacity, human resource capacity to execute more than one lot simultaneously and to service their existing contracts whereby all existing contracts must be listed in the statement of on-going project forms,” the Ministry explained.
Pre-bid meetings will also be held, with bidders invited to tender for the project on or before August 8, 2024. It was also explained that in the event one bidder is adjudged by the evaluation committee to be the lowest qualified bidder in multiple lots, then the committee will recommend a lot for the bidder.
As of May 2024, the US$260 million new Demerara bridge which is being constructed by a consortium led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited (CRCCL) and overseen by Italian firm Politecnica, was 43.4 per cent complete, with a year-end completion deadline being anticipated.
Abdul Hameed, a representative of the Italian company, had explained in March that various phases of the project, which started in May 2023, were being undertaken simultaneously to accelerate its progress. This is with the project deadline of this year’s end in mind.
Added to this, is the massive workforce of 650 workers advancing the project. Of these, 120 are Guyanese while 85 are Venezuelan migrants.
Acquiring the land
The bridge will land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara. Earlier this year, the Government had issued an order to acquire the land needed for the bridge and the approaching roads now being tendered for.
According to the gazette dated April 4, 2024 and signed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, an order to acquire land for public purposes was issued on February 10, 2024. That order is intended to make land between Peters Hall and Providence available for the Government to build connecting roads for the new Demerara River Crossing.
The land being acquired was listed as parcels 47 to 57, lots 80 to 88 and a portion of Block U and Mudlot E.
Meanwhile, the order is legally listed as the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (New Demerara River Crossing and Connecting Road) (No. 2) Order 2024.
In May, however, the Guyana Government had been forced to issue eviction notices to over a dozen residents of Peters Hall, after negotiations to acquire their lands for the bridge failed. The offers in the compensation packages had included a free plot of residential lot (commercial and industrial where applicable) or house with lot; monetary compensation to the market value of the resident land/ building; monetary compensation for crops, and accommodation affording the resident time to rebuild
CRCCL
Back in 2022, $21.1 billion was allocated towards work on the bridge. The CRCCL (International) Limited-led joint venture outbid four other pre-qualified international companies that submitted proposals for the project.
In the months before the contract was awarded, the Guyana Government, through a team of specialists – legal and engineering – was in negotiations with the Chinese company to finalise the terms of the contract.
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.
This new bridge will replace the ageing floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which has outlived its lifespan by several decades. At 1.25 miles (2.01km), the current Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of Demerara, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, people, and cargo.
Specifically, it will provide better connectivity to the East Bank of Demerara, the Diamond-to-Ogle bypass road on the eastern side of the river, as well as the WBD roads, including the Parika-to-Schoonord road on the western side of the river.
The new bridge is a critical component of the Government’s drive to expand and modernise Guyana’s transport infrastructure and will address the challenges faced by users of the current bridge by providing safe, efficient, and effective crossing.
Upon completion, it is also expected to lay the groundwork for other economic opportunities for Regions Three and Four, including agricultural development, tourism, construction, housing and commerce.
