An artist’s impression of the New Demerara River Bridge.
Kaieteur News – The new four-lane approach road that is scheduled to be constructed to connect to the new Demerara River Bridge on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) will cost government over $7.3 billion.
The new four-lane road which is a project being undertaken by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) is expected to be done in six lots. The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) announced on its website recently that contracts for four of the six lots have been awarded and amounts to over $7.3 billion.
The lots awarded are as follows: (Lot1) – BK International Inc. for $1,696,149,857; (Lot2) – Asoka Buildcon Limited for $1,747,255,575; (Lot4) – L’Heureuse Construction & Services Inc. for $2,309,238,068; and (Lot5) – China Railway First Group Guyana Inc. for $1,564,994,697. According to NPTAB these contracts were awarded on September 27.
It was stated in CHPA tender document that the construction period for each lot is seven months and the new four-lane road would be on the eastern side of the new bridge.
This publication had reported previously that the compulsory acquisition of several plots of land along the East Bank of Demerara for the purpose of the construction of the new Demerara River Crossing has been gazetted.
According to information contained in an Extraordinary Gazette published on April 6, 2024, the lands are being acquired for public purpose to build connecting roads for the New Demerara River Crossing on the East Bank of Demerara between Plantations Peter’s Hall and Providence (EBD), passing through the lands described in the schedule to the order was declared to be public work under section three of the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purpose Act.
The Government of Guyana had announced the acquisition of 40 pieces of property from private land owners as it moves ahead with efforts to construct a new Demerara River Bridge (DHB) crossing. It was reported in May, that some 15 Peter’s Hall, residents rejected the Government’s proposal for the acquisition of their properties in order to facilitate the construction of the new bridge, citing their need for fair compensation.
In 2022, a US$260 million contract was awarded to the joint venture of China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited, China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co., Ltd and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd for the project. The new crossing will replace the current bridge, which has already outlived its lifespan by some 40 plus years.
