The Government of Guyana yesterday signed a US$35 million contract with the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCCL) for the construction of the new Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge in Region 10.
President Irfaan Ali who witnessed the contract signing of the historic four-lane bridge in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan said that the state-of-the-art infrastructure will replace the existing bridge.
The bridge is expected to be 220 metres long, and will have several road safety and lighting features, the President told residents who gathered to witness the contract signing. He posited that the bridge would aid in the advancement of trade between Guyana and Brazil.
“This bridge is linked to the 45 bridges we are doing along the Linden-Lethem Highway that will create immense opportunity in positioning Region 10 as the engineering and mechanical hub, and a transport and logistics hub not only for mining but also for the trade that would exist between Brazil and Guyana, and in CARICOM.”
According to the Head of State, since the People’s Progressive Party assumed office in August 2020, there has been significant investment in sectors such as agriculture and bauxite in the mining town of Linden and to some extent Region 10.
He also emphasised that the new Wismar-Macken-zie Bridge will alleviate traffic and transportation woes in the region.
“In 2020, the number of vehicles traversing this bridge was 768,000. Today, we have more than 1.5 million crossings, almost doubling, almost doubling the crossings from 2020 to now. What is the reason for that? It is because something is happening. Something positive is happening. Positive change is taking place, investment is creating wealth, wealth is creating opportunity, opportunity is creating improvement, improvement is creating prosperity.”
Ali said that to complement the construction of the new bridge, and the ongoing construction of the Linden to Lethem Highway, the government will inject more than $50 billion into the Linden-Soesdyke Highway to facilitate much-needed repairs and upgrades.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who was among government ministers present at the ceremony, described the signing of the multimillion-dollar contract as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to the people of Linden.
The minister noted that the construction of the new bridge is not a standalone project, as it is connected to the deep-water harbour in Berbice, and several critical road networks in regions Four, Nine and Ten. He reminded residents and witnesses of the contract signed by the former APNU+AFC Government, to build a new two-lane bridge across the Demerara River to the tune of US$30 million. He observed that comparatively, Lindeners will be getting a four-lane bridge at the cost of US$35 million
“The previous government proposed for the building of a two-lane bridge across the Wismar, Linden area. Today, we are building a four-lane bridge. And the reason why we are building a four-lane bridge is not just to say, we did better than the previous government – that’s not on our agenda. The reason why we are building a four-lane bridge is because the PPP/C administration led by President Ali has grown the economy, has expanded our possibility and the demand has moved beyond a two-lane to a four-lane,” the Public Works minister opined.
The new bridge is scheduled to be completed within two years, and the contractor, CRCCL, has committed to abide by local and international engineering standards.
Region 10 Members of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira and Devin Sears, along with Regional Chairman, Deron Adams and Acting Town Clerk Lennox Gasper, were among the regional officials present at the signing ceremony and took part in the turning of the sod for the new bridge.
Edghill, last week Friday, announced that developmental works for the four-lane bridge across the Demerara River in Wismar, Linden, Region Ten, are slated to begin this year.
He made this disclosure at his year-end press conference held at the Ministry of Public Works’ boardroom in Wight’s Lane, Kingston, Georgetown, adding, “Monies have been provided, and the contractor was identified, so we are ready to go.”
In 2020, an elevated precast concrete girder bridge equipped with two traffic lanes and a footpath was proposed to replace the existing Wismar Bridge, which has deteriorated over the years. However, the design was amended to accommodate four lanes of traffic.
The design of the bridge was unveiled by Italy-based engineering firm – Politecnica Ingegneria ed Architettura Società Cooperativa – which was contracted by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to conduct a feasibility study and prepare detailed designs for the construction.
Assistant Project Manager, Francisco Reina, explained that from the feasibility study, they were able to generate four different designs for the new bridge. However, he opined that the best option was the precast concrete girder bridge, which is similar to the design of the existing bridge.
He informed Stabroek News that this bridge features a mid-range elevation with five spans at 44 metres each. It is structurally recommended and will be constructed to accommodate all types of vehicles in Guyana.
The new location of the bridge over the Demerara River is proposed to be in proximity to the existing bridge. In the design, it was also proposed that roundabouts be constructed at both ends of the bridge to accommodate an easy flow of traffic and have multi-thoroughfare access.
The bridge carries a minimum lifespan of 50 years with limited maintenance. However, with an effective maintenance programme in place, the bridge can last longer. The mid-range of the bridge will be elevated to 11 metres.
