Further progress on the new Demerara River Bridge project has been delayed pending a decision to be made by an independent Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) on the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the multimillion-dollar undertaking.
In late 2021, Cabinet had granted its ‘no objection’ for China State Construction Engineering to construct the new bridge.
However, earlier this month, the Guyana Government announced that it will be engaging a new contactor to construct the bridge after negotiations with the first preferred bidder bore little fruit.
But according to the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Kemraj Parsram, in order for the project to move forward, a decision has to be made by the EAB whether an EIA is required.
The life of the Board expired in December last year and will have to be reconstituted.
“A decision was made by the EPA and there was an objection, so automatically that then goes to the Environmental Assessment Board, an independent body, to review and they are, I think today (Tuesday), that body will be gazetted and then the body will review that situation,” the EPA Head told the media during a recent interview.
Nevertheless, Parsram reiterated the original position taken by the EPA on the question of an EIA for the project.
“I know there was a history that previously, the EPA made a decision that an EIA was required but at that time we didn’t have enough information…information subsequently came in and actually…there was a preliminary environmental and social impact assessment done and that was the basis…”
“And having returning to the Agency, I reviewed all that information, I said it doesn’t really make any sense to go through having to do another EIA…that information was adequate to inform that we do not need an environmental and social impact assessment,” he contended.
According to the EPA Head, the social benefits clearly outweigh the current environmental impacts which, he noted, are not significant.
“The social benefits or the positive benefits far outweigh the current environmental impact,” he posited.
“The next step is to ensure, through our permitting, that when the project is approved, that we will set up the necessary safeguards to make sure that the impacts that are there, that they are not significant [and] will be managed and then we can have the project go ahead,” Parsram explained.
The new Demerara River Bridge when constructed will land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara and is expected to significantly reduce congestion of traffic.
The new bridge is expected to be completed in two years from the date of the commencement order.
Floating at 1.25 miles, 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.
The structure was built in the 1970’s and was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years. However, some 43 years later, the bridge is still floating and being kept alive by costly maintenance works.
