IN keeping with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Public Works is moving to conduct an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the construction of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge which is expected to link La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara to Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara.
On Saturday night, the Ministry posted a notice to its Facebook Page, inviting eligible consultancy firms to submit proposals to conduct the ESIA for not only the bridge, but for its approach/connecting roads as well.
“The main objective of this consultancy is for the consultant to undertake a detailed assessment of the environmental and social issues that are involved with, or are likely to arise from, the planned development in the areas of influence of the project,” the notice read.
It specified that the estimated implementation period of the consultancy is expected to be five months.

“Consultants will be selected in accordance with the policies and procedures set out by the National Procurement Act (2003). The Standard Request for Proposal document can be found on the Ministry’s website (https://mopw.gov.gy/) under the Procurement Tab,” the ministry indicated.
According to the published document, “Bidders are required to submit a combined Technical and Financial Proposal” which must be submitted by Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Meanwhile, a total of 42 companies are currently in the running to design and build the new ‘fly-over’ structure, which is likely to be a high-span fixed bridge, boasting of four convenient lanes. According to the Expressions Of Interest published last year, the new design of the Demerara Harbour Bridge will not require opening or retraction to allow for maritime traffic, as it is likely to be high-rise structure which will aid in the alleviation of the current traffic woes that are experienced during daily bridge retractions. The new bridge is likely to carry a lifespan of at least 50 years.
An estimated cost has not yet been announced, but Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, had assured [the nation] that the rules of engagement would entail “transparency, accountability, and full disclosure to the people of Guyana.”

In November, the Government of Guyana, via the Ministry of Public Works, had invited “Expressions of Interest (EOI) and Prequalification of Qualified contractors for the Design-Build of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge and Available Financing Options for the Demerara Harbour Bridge.”
Based on the proposals received, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, had said that the submissions represented “an unprecedented level of interest in a major infrastructural project in Guyana.”
“The Demerara River crossing is a large and important project; it is one that would make a dramatic contribution to the improvement of our country’s transport infrastructure,” Dr. Singh had said.

The Finance Minister added that the current bridge has outlived both its usefulness and relevance to the Guyana of today.
“One merely has to observe the daily traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara, both in the mornings and evenings, which has contributed to thousands and thousands of lost man-hours, as people endure the daily commute into and out of the city,” Dr. Singh had said. Even though the existing bridge is unable to adequately accommodate the daily and growing traffic, it is not necessarily a structure that is substandard.
A few years ago, under the leadership of Mr. Robeson Benn, the then Ministry of Public Works had denounced the “myth” that the bridge had an expiration date. It was explained at the time that the bridge is one that can be constantly maintained, in that almost all of its components are “repairable”. It is unclear whether the government will utilise the structure at another location in the country.
Nonetheless, the administration has set out an ambitious three-year timeline for the completion of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge.