The new Demerara Harbor Bridge might not be completed and opened by August 31, as was previously announced by the Government, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

Speaking at his Thursday press conference, Mr. Jagdeo said while the construction is at an advanced stage, works for completion will not be rushed because of the elections.

He dismissed safety concerns as “nonsense”, explaining that both the construction and supervision and construction firms are experienced in building the type of structure.

“They are not going to be pushed to do anything that is unsafe, so I don’t know when they would actually completed, it will be very soon because they are now hooking up the final span across, you can see that if you drive across but we are not going to push them to meet an artificial deadline just for the sake of the elections,” Mr. Jagdeo stated.

The bridge was first scheduled for completion by December 31, 2024, and later shifted to March 31, 2025, but contractors had raised issues such as getting materials to Guyana among others.

Mr. Jagdeo now says the people are aware that bridge is coming, irrespective of when it is completed.

“The people of Region 3 and Region 4 who use that bridge and every other region, see it every day, they know the commitment we made. To get a structure up like that in such a short period of time, three years after Covid, nearing completion and with all the associated highways, it’s phenomenal,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

The bridge will accommodate vehicles of all sizes and weights, and with a speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour (km/h).

It will replace the Demerara Harbour Bridge, which can accommodate vehicles moving at 32 km/h. While the current bridge has opening schedules to allow large vessels to pass, the new bridge will have an elevation of six meters above the surface to allow all vessels to pass underneath. It is expected to last 100 years.

The Bridge is being constructed by China Railway Construction (International) Limited for US$260 million, while the Italian firm, Politecnica, supervises construction.

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