Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has blamed political influences for the recent delays in the aspects of the new bridge across the Demerara River.
Only recently, works had resumed on the eastern side of the bridge after a court ruling gave full clearance. The project had been briefly delayed as a result of the land acquisition issues encountered with the private properties in the alignment path of the bridge.
According to the Public Works Minister, the residents at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara, were advised by politically affiliated lawyers and surveyors from taking up government’s acquisition offer for their properties.
“Some of them [are] Members of Parliament and they wanted to stall the bridge so it won’t come in before our term is finished. It was a big political move by members of the opposition to use the residents. And you know what’s the reality, some of the people ended up getting judgements in the court less than what the government was asking,” Edghill pointed out at his ministry’s 2024 year-end press conference on Saturday.
He went on to disclose, “By the 19th of December, every cheque that was to paid be for compensation was prepared and still the lawyers were telling some people not to collect their cheques… We should’ve had everything cleared by December 31. It was a big political move to stall the construction of the bridge. So, if we’re gonna talk about the delays of the bridge, it’s the local politics of division and destruction that is seeking to hinder Guyana’s development.”
The new bridge across the Demerara River is being constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited to the tune of US$260 million, with supervisory firm, Politecnica.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the four-lane concrete bridge, which was already extended from 2024 year-end to a March 2025 completion, has been given another five months – up to August 31 – for completion.
This extension was to facilitate concrete works that would need adequate time for curing.
“The major problem there is that we just can’t do more than we’re doing there now. Even if I put twice the amount of workers on the project, we still have to wait in terms of time for the concrete to cure,” he stated, adding that the contractors have been working overtime and even on holidays to push the progress forward.
Currently, works on the bridge are 61.72 per cent completed.
These include:
* Temporary Trestle Bridge and Working Platform: 100%
* Drilled Shaft (East): 78% and Drill Shaft (West): 100%
* East Approach Piers: 50% and West Approach Piers: 87%
* Main Tower Leg: 78%
* Main Tower Cross Beam: 50%
* Fabrication of Precast Girders (East): 24% and Precast Girders (West): 22%
* Installation of Precast Girders (East): 6% and Precast Girders (West): 13%
* Eastern Approach road: 60% and Western Approach Road: 46%
The new high rise, fixed span Demerara River bridge would land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara. It will replace the decades-old floating bridge across the Demerara River connecting Regions Three and Four.
