temporary bridge is 70 percent completed

FOLLOWING his recent visit to multiple project sites on the East Bank of Demerara, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, conducted an unplanned visit to the New Demerara River Bridge on Monday, during which he engaged with the contracting team to receive an update on the project.
Patrick Thompson, the Chief Transport Officer, exclusively informed Minister Edghill and the Guyana Chronicle that the construction of the temporary bridge is progressing smoothly. The Transport Officer has confirmed that China Railway Construction (International) Limited (CRCCL) is currently building a temporary bridge from East to West. This temporary bridge will play a crucial role in the construction of the permanent bridge.

Thompson provided an explanation that the temporary bridge, although nearly 70 percent complete, is being constructed entirely out of steel. Furthermore, he stated that the permanent bridge, known as the New Demerara Harbour Bridge, will be built using reinforced concrete. He further stated that “the temporary bridge is 70 percent complete, and works for the permanent bridge will begin in the same area.”

Furthermore, he divulged that the primary objective for the permanent bridge entails the creation of two towers, to be constructed on both the Eastern and opposite banks of the river channel. According to his assertion, this is a necessary measure to ensure the reliability of the bridge’s cables. Thompson acknowledged that, although they were working within their schedule, they encountered some challenges that resulted in inconvenience. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that, despite the setback, they are diligently striving to meet their deadline, set for the end of 2024.

“The biggest challenge that we are facing is the supply chain bringing all the materials from China to Guyana. One of the major challenges that we have right now is that there is a constriction in the Panama Canal where there is a backlog of traffic. The containers that are bound for Georgetown are being delayed for several weeks at Panama alone. Some of the other challenges are access to some materials, both fine and coarse aggregates,” he related.

The Chief Transport Officer elaborated that despite the abundance of fine sand in Guyana, the concrete’s durability necessitates coarse sand, which, regrettably, Guyana does not manufacture. He stated that given the project’s scale, the coarse sand needs to be brought in from abroad.
Ultimately, Thompson conveyed that once the New Demerara Harbour Bridge is finished, the provisional bridge will be disassembled and its materials repurposed for smaller bridges across the country where they are needed.

Following his conversation with Chief Transport Officer Patrick Thompson and the CRCCL contracting firm team, the Minister of Public Works informed the Guyana Chronicle that he acknowledges the contractors’ limited control over certain challenges and assures that the government is actively striving for timely delivery.
According to him, “I am happy today to come on site, and have a first-hand look at what is happening based upon reports that I have been getting in office. It has been made very clear, and we want to show the nation that we are expecting this project to be on time and delivered on schedule. We are working with the contractor, and the consultant is here from Politecnica which is giving supervisory instructions to the contractor on behalf of the government of Guyana to ensure that we are keeping with all the timelines, and we are not going to sleep on this project or any other project until they are completed.”

The bridge is purpose-built to accommodate Handymax vessels, allowing them to pass underneath at a height of 50 meters, while ensuring a minimum horizontal width of 210 meters for navigation. However, the ultimate design is estimated to encompass a broader horizontal span.

The US$260 million New Demerara Harbour Bridge is a hybrid cable stay beam guarder concrete structure, constructed according to AASHTO specifications. The 2.6-kilometre bridge will connect Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara.

The New Demerara Harbour Bridge, designed to last 100 years, has a width of 23.6 meters, including the median, shoulders, and four lanes, ensuring ample space for safe and efficient traffic flow.