Consortium of three subsidiaries of the China Railway Construction Corporation now front runner for contract

The Guyanese government has pulled the plug on China State Construction Engineering Corporation, which was vying for the Demerara Harbour bridge project.

The move was based on the fact that its price tag of US$257 million is seen by Juan Edghill, Guyana’s minister of public works, as far too high. As a result of China State Construction Engineering Corporation being out of the race, a consortium made up of three subsidiaries of the China Railway Construction Corporation is now in pole position to build the Demerara Harbour bridge.

ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO LAST 10 YEARS

The three subsidiaries are China Railway Construction Corporation (International), China Railway Construction (Caribbean) and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group.

Guyana plans to replace the 44-year-old Demerara Harbour Bridge in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown that was originally intended to last 10 years.

Edghill said the government was hopeful of concluding a new deal before the end of February.

The new bridge will be a 50m-high, four-lane road span, and the government wants it to be delivered within two years of the contract signing.

The 44-year-old floating bridge is said to hamper navigation in the harbour. Plans for a fixed link were announced in December 2015, and tenders were received from 23 international and local companies.

NINE COMPANIES WERE IN CONTENTION

However, these were superseded in August 2017 when a scheme to build a bridge 2km north of the existing link was put forward. This was then dropped in favour of a crossing 6km south of the river mouth, at the same location as the floating bridge.

This will connect the Georgetown districts of Nandy Park and Meer Zorgen. Nine companies were in contention for this, including Ballast Nedam, Boskalis, Eiffage, Odebrecht and four Chinese teams.