Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and his Surinamese counterpart Riad Nurmohamed yesterday inked a US$2 million agreement with WSP Caribbean Limited for the Feasibility Study and Design for the Bridge over the Corentyne River.
The agreement was signed in Suriname after Edghill led a delegation to the neighbouring country.
At the signing ceremony, the Surinamese Technical Assistant for Capital Infrastructure Projects, Kees Boender related that the contract is expected to last for seven months and after which both governments would be in a position to advertise the tender for the construction of the bridge by late 2022 or early 2023.
He added that they are looking at a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement using the design, build, finance, operate, and maintain (DBFOM) model.
The bridge will be located in the vicinity of the existing ferry stations between the two countries from South Drain in Suriname to Moleson Creek in Berbice. It is expected to be a high bridge with a horizontal clearance of 100 metres and a vertical clearance of 43 metres between South Drain and Lange Island in the Corentyne River to allow the passage of ships between 40-45000 death weight tonne.
From Lange Island to Moleson Creek the bridge would be much lower with a height of about 6 metres.
In November of 2020, and during a three-day visit by President Irfaan Ali to Suriname, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the joint bridging of the Corentyne River.
Yesterday, Boender said that the bridge would be similar to the one in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo. He noted that the contract with WSP will entail a lot of studies along with a preliminary design for the bridge.
“Those studies are to get a better insight into all aspects of the bridge because later on we have to make a deal, a PPP deal, and it’s better to have all the details known to you. All the financial ins and outs to be investigated to lower the risk and to get better a PPP deal,” he said.
WSP Caribbean, based in Trinidad, is now mandated to conduct geotechnical tests and studies, topographic assessment, hydraulic, hydrographic and morphological studies, traffic demand and traffic projects/forecasts, financial and economic evaluation, PPP evaluation/suitability, legal framework, environmental assessment, tender documents for DBFOM models, and the preliminary design of the bridge and roads.
With the governments intending to transform Lange Island into an economic hub, Boender said WSP Caribbean is tasked with reviewing existing plans and reports all regarding developments along with projected growth plans for new ports and mining activities within the area as well.
WSP said it is a global company with over 55,000 employees and has been working in the transportation and infrastructure industry for a number of years. It added that the workers for this project will be drawn from its Latin America and Caribbean pool of 4150 employees.
The WSP representative said that 47% of its revenue is earned from transportation and infrastructure projects.
Highest priority
Meanwhile, Edghill said that the bridge is one of the highest priorities of both governments with the intent to drive economic activity along with ensuring the increased efficiency of trade, rapid exchange of ideas and quick access to services for those who need them most.
“Cooperation at this level means less delays and more progress for both of our populations. The Corentyne River Bridge is both a physical connection between two landmasses as well as a social connection between two peoples.
“When completed, it will forge stronger cultural bonds and encourage more knowledge sharing activities across our common borders. It will be a lasting symbol of the friendship, innovation and determination of two neighbours not content to have the tide or the currents of the Corentyne River impact our face to face interaction nor stymie our advancement. Further, this bridge will truly transform future travels between Georgetown and Paramaribo resulting in increased efficiency and safety,” he said.
He added that citizens of both countries are constrained by the schedule and carrying capacity of the ferry and with the bridge that would become a thing of the past. He explained that the bridge would also open both countries to increased tourists.
“The bridge will be strategically designed to pass through the untouched Lange Island, an island on the Corentyne River with enormous potential for commercialization and development of a free trade zone with hotels, resorts and all forms of entertainment that will attract tourists to Guyana and Suriname.
“On the oil and gas front, Guyana and Suriname are new but bona fide players in the energy sector both offshore and onshore. The Corentyne Bridge will provide easy access to deep water facilities in Guyana and Suriname. The movement of goods and services to support offshore activities will require space, hence Guyana and Suriname can take advantage of the economies of scale to be derived in this regard,” Edghill said.
The minister said that the inking of the agreement marks a major milestone in the overall goal of the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge adding that it expresses the steadfast commitment of both governments to improving the lives of their citizens through efficient transportation policies and state of the art infrastructure.
The governments also launched a request for expressions of interest to execute the project.
Eight bidders from around the world have already been shortlisted to build the proposed bridge.
Last year, Suriname news agency Waterkant reported the shortlisted companies as being China Road and Bridge Corporation (China), EGIS (France), Exp Services Inc., Pedelta, Arcadis, CEMCO (Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Guyana), FIGG / Sunecon / SRKN’gineering & Associates/ E&A Consultants / P-ALL Consultants/ Environmental Management Consultant (United States of America), Politecnica and Rina JV / ILACO / SRKN’gineering & Associates (Italy, Suriname, Guyana), SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies Inc. / AP&G Consultancy Suriname NV / Delta Marine Consultants / Deltares (Dubai, Suriname, Netherlands), TYPSA/ Leonard, Andra und Partner GmbH/ FIRM (Spain, Germany, Suriname) and WSP Caribbean Ltd. (Trinidad).
