New Demerara River crossing a ‘priority’

WORKS on the construction of a new Demerara River crossing is a priority, according to Minister of Public Works, Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn.
“We have had our technical people do the final evaluations of some 23 expressions of interest,” he recently told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment.
He added that the next step is a new study that will set out the scope of proposals that will be accepted.
“We have to now do a study, which will further constrain proposals, constrain what people can put out in terms of proposals. It is a priority,” Benn said.
The Minister also told the Guyana Chronicle that the efforts to date are progressing well.
Government has previously indicated that it will invite expressions of interest for a public-private partnership for the construction of the new bridge.

FEASIBILITY STUDY DONE
Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) General Manager, Rawlston Adams, in February this year, had explained that the feasibility study for the new bridge has already been completed, with Versailles, on the West Bank, and Houston, on the East Bank, being determined as having the best advantage in terms of location. Also, Good Hope, on the East Bank, and Patentia, on the West Bank, were cited as possible locations.

Minister Benn reported at the time that any such arrangements will be handled by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and not his ministry, since that is the agency which attends to such matters.
He further explained that the reason such an arrangement is being sought is because the Government does not have the kind of money it will take to finance the venture.
Benn also reported that a freshwater environment is the perfect habitat in which to relocate the current Demerara Harbour Bridge, when its replacement comes into operation, with the Kurupukari Crossing on the Upper Essequibo River being listed as the likely candidate.

NEW BRIDGE
The new bridge will be made of reinforced concrete, have four lanes (some 20 metres wide) for vehicular traffic; a walkway for pedestrians; a cycle lane; navigational clearance (100m wide); navigational aids; and an estimated length of 2,250 meters.
The current use of the Demerara Bridge is estimated at 17,000 vehicles a day, a massive volume of traffic utilizing the decades-old bridge.