Chinese loan approval to fast-track construction of new Demerara Bridge

Last Updated on Saturday, 31 December 2022, 9:14 by Denis Chabrol

Construction of the new four-lane high-span Demerara Harbour Bridge is now expected to move apace with Friday’s approval of a Euros 160 million (approx US$171.6 million) loan for that facility, government said.

“With the signing of that agreement, I expect work to be accelerated and I want to get that message out there,” Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said.

He remarked that Public Works Minister Dr Ashni Singh has already instructed his team to fast-track work on the new bridge and Finance Ministry Projects Manager Tarachand Balgobin has been tasked with getting his team to work on the project. “So we are going to see movement on that other very important project which is also being constructed with Chinese support,” he said.

Government and China State Construction Engineering Corporation ( CSCEC) in May, 2022 signed a US$260 million contract for the construction of the new bridge which would be about 2.65 kilometres long and 23.6 meters wide.

Dr Singh acknowledged that the existing two-land retractable Demerara Harbour Bridge, which was built in 1978, has “served our country well but the time for a new bridge with greater capacity is overdue.”