WORK is currently being done to put arrangements in place for the construction of a new Demerara River crossing as expressions of interest (EoI) for the design, construction and financing options for a four-lane high-span bridge are being addressed.

This was according to Minister of Public Works, Bishop Edghill, during the presentation of Budget 2020 on Wednesday.
“Mr. Speaker, we speak of the lamentable and pedantic efforts by the past regime to conclude any arrangement for the construction of the new Demerara River crossing. This Honourable House will recall the impropriety surrounding the conduct of the feasibility study for the bridge and the feeble effort to launch an Expression of Interest (EOI), which was a phenomenal adventure in incompetence. Within the last few weeks we have re-kindled huge interest in this project,” Minister Edghill said.
The APNU+AFC administration, after it assumed office in 2015, said that it would be feasible to have the existing bridge untouched and to construct another link somewhere in the vicinity of the 42-year-old link.

The former government had commissioned a feasibility study, which was awarded to Dutch Company, LivenseCSO.
The awarding of that contract was marred in controversy, with Auditor General, Deodat Sharma flagging major breaches of Guyana’s financial laws.
The move by the Audit Office to “investigate” the project came after the completion of an investigation by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in 2018.
The PPC report made clear that there were indeed deviations from standard procurement procedures.
It was noted that several companies had submitted bids for the project, with 12 companies being shortlisted. The report added that only two of the 12 companies made proposals. As a consequence, the bidding process was annulled.

In November 12, 2016, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be re-tendered, but that was not done. The company ultimately got the contract with cabinet’s blessings.
The New Demerara River Bridge is expected to connect Houston on the East Bank of Demerara and Versailles on the West Bank.

By: Guyana Chronicles

Date: 10 September, 2020