— Min. Edghill confirms

ON Monday, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, met with eight of the nine pre-qualified bidders for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge to provide clarifications on several aspects relating to the construction of the new structure.
According to Edghill, the bidders sought further explanations on several technical issues, as well as the financing of the new Demerara River Crossing.
“All of the issues were clarified and will be communicated to all the bidders in writing,” Edghill told the Guyana Chronicle.
He said that even though the bidders had all reiterated their commitment to the project, they requested additional time to complete their proposals which requires them to bid on two options: first, a Design-Build & Finance option, and second, a Design-Build-Operate & Finance Option.
As a result of the concerns raised and the justifications given, the Government of Guyana, via the Ministry of Public Works, agreed to extend the August 3, 2021 deadline for submissions of bid. “The agreement is that we will give a two-month extension to October 5 for submission of the bids,” minister Edghill related.
He said that the Public Works Ministry stands ready to provide further clarifications and details regarding the project, to the bidders.
Further, Edghill said that the government will work towards facilitating visas for companies that want their representatives to travel to Guyana to conduct site inspections and assessments.
“All of the bidders gave clear impression that they are actively pursuing the project,” the minister related.

He said that at the end of Monday’s meeting, all bidders understood that the project has a strict two-year deadline which will commence at the signing of the contract.
“In the meeting today, no bidder raised the issue about not being able to deliver the bridge within the 24 months of signing of a contract,” Edghill posited. He emphasised that the construction of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge is a project that the government is pursuing with much vigour.
The government had hoped that the project could commence by the end of 2021; however, it is unclear whether this remains possible.
The nine pre-qualified bidders were selected following an ‘Expressions of Interest’ exercise which saw 54 firms indicating their interest in the project. Thereafter, 44 entities moved on to complete the registration process, with a total of 21 companies subsequently submitted to become qualified. All of the bidders were from outside of Guyana, including China, Suriname, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

Despite the limited number of companies that were pre-qualified to construct the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Minister Edghill had encouraged all of the companies to continue to pursue the many opportunities available in Guyana.
While an estimated cost is to be determined following the submission of bids, the East Bank to West Bank link is likely to be a “four-lane, high-span fixed bridge; the new ‘fly-over’ structure is intended to stretch across the Demerara River from La Grange on the West Bank to Nandy Park on the East Bank.
According to the EoI, the new design of the Demerara Harbour Bridge will not require opening or retraction to allow for maritime traffic, as is the situation with the existing structure. The new bridge is likely to carry a lifespan of at least 50 years.
While 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.