THE dream of a bridge across the Berbice River is fast becoming a reality with 17 of the 39 spans on the US$36M super structure already installed, and the project on track for an August completion date.

Chairperson of the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI), Mrs. Geeta Singh-Knight, yesterday told reporters work is moving apace rapidly and on schedule to be completed in August.

When completed, the Berbice Bridge, just under a mile long, is expected to be the world’s sixth longest floating bridge.

Speaking with reporters during an open day for the press hosted by the BBCI at the bridge site, Mrs. Singh-Knight pointed out that to date, 17 of the 39 spans on the structure have been installed.

According to the BBCI Chairperson, the bridge is expected to be opened for traffic in early September and will be utilised for vehicular traffic only.

Contrary to reports in some sections of the media, Mrs. Geeta-Knights disclosed that the structure will not include a pedestrian walk way because it is ‘virtually impractical’ and was not included in the feasibility study.

She said, too, that all lighting systems will be installed on the bridge and the approach roads before its commissioning and revealed that the structure has a one year liquidation period in which claims could be made for damages or faulty work.

Mrs. Singh-Knight also pointed out that charges for vehicles crossing the bridge will vary between $1,200 and $1,600 depending on their size, and that no vending will be permitted on the bridge.

She also indicated that in July, advertisements will be posted in the media for eligible individuals to man the operations of the ‘masterpiece’ when it is completed.

Among those in the BBCI contingent at the site yesterday to brief the media were Mr. Omadat Samaroo, CEO of BBCI; Mr. Winston Brassington, Company Secretary; Mr. Cecil Kennard, Director; Mr. Bert Carter, Technical Committee Site Chairman; Mr. Henny Muskens, Site Supervisor/Installation Manager; Mr. Rawlston Adams, Engineer supervising the construction of the approach roads; and Mr. Rickford Lowe, Coordinator of the Works Services Group, Ministry of Public Works and Communications.

Mr. Muskens told the mostly Georgetown-based reporters that travelled up to the bridge site, that work on the western side of the facility was halted for the construction of the high span and when this is completed, work will commence on the retractor span.

The retractor span, he said, will be similar to the Harbour Bridge across the Demerara River which allows for the open and closure of sea going vessels.

The Site Supervisor also acknowledged that more work has to be done to ensure all anchors are properly installed on the structure that is about 55 per cent completed.

Mr. Carter, meanwhile, told reporters that work cannot progress – at this point in time - further than the 18th span because it will interfere with marine traffic from the Blairmont Estate and the Canje Creek.

As a result of this, he said construction had to start on the eastern side going back west.

He noted that when the high span is completed, it will be some 40 feet in height and 120 feet in width which is big enough to allow marine traffic that ply the river to pass under unimpeded.

Mr. Carter also stressed that vehicles carrying loads in excess of 40 tonnes will not be permitted to transit the bridge.

The Site Chairman noted that there has been some difficulty with the soil in planting the anchors at the eastern end of the river but that has since been addressed after the area was jet blasted.

In the meantime, he said soil analyses are being done to overcome the hindrance.

The Berbice Bridge is located downstream of the existing ferry route, starting from the D’Edward Village on the western bank to Crab Island on the eastern bank.

The length of the bridge will be approximately 1570.7 metres while the width of the crossing is in excess of 1.5 kilometres (Km).

The approach roads constructed on both sides of the river to connect the bridge with the main high network cost some US$8.7M.

Mr. Adams told the Guyana Chronicle that the roads on the western and eastern sides of the river are 70 and 40 per cent complete respectively.

He said asphalting of the roads will be completed in the first week in September and they will be officially commissioned in April 2009.

The road on the western side of the river is some 0.8 Km in length while the one on the opposite side is about 3.5 Km.

The Technology Development and System Phases were completed and to date 270 forty-foot containers of equipment and components have arrived from the United Kingdom, Holland, USA, Vietnam and China.

This represents approximately 95 per cent of the total materials to be shipped for the project.

Also, the construction of the generator building at D’ Edward and installation of primary power by the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) are to be executed shortly.

The final designs for the other ancillary work such as the toll plazas on both ends of the bridge, operations and maintenance buildings, security buildings, stores and public facilities and generator building on either of the structure were finalised.

BBCI has four shareholders, CLICO, Hand-in-Hand, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Secure International, a subsidiary of the Beharry Group of Companies.

They hired, as the main contractor, a European consortium comprising the Dutch firm, Bosch-Rexroth and the British, Mabey Johnson.

A GUYANESE REALITY
When the Berbice River Bridge project was launched at Cara Lodge, Georgetown, in August 2006, President Bharrat Jagdeo said he was “particularly pleased because this is the biggest partnership ever in the history of our country between the private sector and the Government of Guyana.”

“I recall that decades ago this project was mentioned as a dream and today it is becoming a reality - a Guyanese reality,” he said as he outlined some of the work that had started in previous years and the negotiations as well as feasibility studies that the project underwent prior to its launching.

“…this bridge will form part of the network of (the) vision that we’re trying to accomplish - a vision where Guyana will realise its continental destiny,” he added.

“Already, we’re in discussions with a particular group to have a deep water harbour there, to upgrade the road to Brazil, possibly to develop a refinery in that area and Berbice will see a major new development…Guyana will become much more competitive internationally because the cost of our exports will go down through lower freight”, the President had projected.

“Today, we should all be proud. I’m not treating this as a political project. This is a national project. This is realising the dreams of all Guyanese.”

HIGH POINTS
Berbice Cabinet Outreach
President Jagdeo reiterates PPP/C commitment to bridge the Berbice River during the Cabinet outreach

July 1999
Government of Guyana (GOG) issues Request for Proposals (RFP) for BOOT project for the proposed Berbice Bridge.

Feb 2000
5 Bids received; bids evaluated by a multi agency review team including members of the private sector; Ballast Needam International (BNI) subsequently selected as the #1 ranked investor.

Sept 2000
MOU signed between GOG and BNI for the Finance, Design, Construction, Operation Maintenance and Transfer of Ownership of the Berbice Bridge Project.

May 2001
IDB completes a traffic study based on a Willingness to Pay (WTP) survey of existing users of the ferry; report entitled “Guyana: Approach Roads and the Berbice Bridge — A Traffic Study”; WTP at 2001 traffic shows economic benefits of US$5.1 M/annum.

Mar 2002
BNI withdraws from project advising that as a result of losses sustained in 2001, the firm was in the process of restructuring its international operations and withdrawing from a number of projects internationally, including the Berbice Bridge project.

June 2002
IDB via GOG advertised for firms to be pre-qualified to conduct a Feasibility Study of the Berbice Bridge.

June 2003
Contract signed with the Louis Berger Group to undertake the Feasibility Study.

October 2004
Final IDB Report on the Feasibility Study is issued. Feasibility study shows project to be feasible.

October 2004
A draft Preliminary Term Sheet for financing the Berbice Bridge invites local financial institutions to express interest in investing in Bonds, Preferred Shares, and Common Shares proposed to be issued by a private sector owned Berbice Bridge company.

January 2005
Responses to the draft Term Sheet are positive; by July 2005 the following firms have expressed interest in investing in the project with total interest exceeding US$40 M. Based on expressions of interest, there is enough financing to cover the ceiling of projected bridge costs of US$37.2M.

April 2005
Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) incorporated.

May 2005
ND LEA hired to prepare tender documents for the design/construction of the Berbice Bridge.

June 2005
Legal and financial experts are hired for the project.

August 2005
The tender documents inviting bids for the Bridge design/construction issues.