New Demerara Harbour Bridge to be completed next year – gov’t; AFC says until 2026

Last Updated on Monday, 29 July 2024, 8:04 by Writer

The Demerara Harbour Bridge would be completed next year, despite a shift in the original deadline, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said in contrast to the opposition Alliance For Change’s (AFC’s) claim that the new east-west corridor would not be ready until 2026.

Mr Edghill told Demerara Waves Online News that the new US$260 million bridge is expected to be completed by March 31, 2025.

He said the contractual completion date is December 31, 2024 but owing to issues with the timely availability of the right-of-way (ROW) through the Peters Hall area the completion date was revised.

The Public Works Minister said to date, the physical progress of the project is approximately 55 percent with US$99.96 million expended of the US$260.9 million contract sum. “Current works include construction of main towers, bridge piers, pile caps, pier caps and east and west end bridge abutments,” he added.

Last Friday, Shadow Public Works Minister David Patterson told a news conference that the new Demerara Harbour Bridge would not be completed next year but until mid-2026 at earliest because that structure was now “barely 20 percent completed.” “I also want to tell the public that they ain’t driving on that bridge till 2026,” he said. Referring to a conversation with engineers last Wednesday, Mr Patterson described as “appalling” the paucity of information. Citing the estimated 400-foot high bridge that would be constructed, he said “You could just start imagining how much more work that has to be done.” Mr Patterson said Mr Edghill would provide “some divine numbers” that he could not prove.