CABINET will at its next Conference of Ministers later this month discuss in detail the feasibility study and design for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge crossing.
The study which was completed by Dutch company Leivense CSO at a cost of $146.3M,was presented to Cabinet on Tuesday by subject minister,David Patterson.
Minister of State,Joseph Harmon told reporters at his post-Cabinet press briefing that Patterson,in collaboration with the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation had commissioned Leivense CSO to undertake the study and propose the design for the crossing. That project began in January.
In 2013, a pre-feasibility study was done by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and that study concluded that a new, high-level, fixed bridge was the best option to be pursued.
Meanwhile, Harmon said Cabinet asked the Minister of Public Infrastructure “to identify key aspects of the proposal that require immediate attention and agreed to discuss the study in detail at the next conference of Ministers in May”.
In March, Minister Patterson and a team of representatives from his Ministry along with the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Rawlston Adams,met with the Dutch company to discuss the first stage of the feasibility study for the new crossing.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge (a floating bridge) was opened on July 2, 1978 and has a length of 1851 metres (1.15 miles). The bridge has been under constant maintenance over the years.