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Government commissions $349M Hope Bridge
Almost three years after construction started on the Hope Bridge located at Hope/Dochfour East Coast Demerara the government commissioned the structure and ended one phase of the Hope canal project.
Present at the commissioning ceremony yesterday was Head of State Donald Ramotar; Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy; Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill; Public Works Minister Robeson Benn; and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, Lionel Wordsworth.
Donald Ramotar unveils the plaque on the bridge.
President Donald Ramotar told residents that Government had recognized the need for the canal leading to the construction of the bridge because of several recent floods. According to the President it was always “painful” to watch how farmers would lose crops and livestock.
Ramotar asserted that the project was not only a humanitarian one but also one of economics. He said that there is the constant need to improve the lives of the residents in the areas.
“ We were faced with the choice of releasing water into the Mahaica, Mahaicony, knowing that it would destroy farms,….or the alternative was having the pressure of walls break and flood the coastal area” the President said.
He said that the choices may have seemed simple, but when you know it will hurt people it’s not easy. Ramotar noted that he was very confident that the other phases of the project would be constructed in a timely fashion.
The President added that the new bridge would help with the traffic situation, since there is a transportation boom. Ramotar also stressed that if the country wants to have rapid economic growth government must invest in infrastructure to facilitate and encourage this.
Minister of Agriculture Leslie Ramsammy dubbed the project a Guyanese achievement. He explained that every aspect of the project was done by Guyanese. The project was conceptualized out of necessity, he added.
Immediately after the commissioning, the bridge was opened to traffic and the diversion road which vehicles were using to traverse the East Coast Demerara Highway in the vicinity of Hope will now be closed to facilitate remaining works.
NDIA has urged all road users to comply with traffic signs and road rules and to make use of the completed Hope Canal Bridge. At the same time, motorists are reminded to be vigilant and to travel at a safe speed at all times since the bridge is in close proximity to the Hope Secondary School.
“The closure of the bypass road which was used as a diversion route will enable work to continue towards bringing the other components of the project to fruition.”
The bridge which was constructed at a cost of approximately $349M has a length of 74.4m and a 47m sloped approach on both sides. It has the capacity to accommodate two lane traffic and sidewalks on both sides. It was constructed by DIPCON Engineering.
The project has four components- the Northern Relief Channel and Associated Drainage Structures, the Conservancy Head Regulator, the Public Road Bridge and the High Level Outfall Sluice.
Construction work on the EDWC Northern Relief Channel began in 2011, however, due to several constraints the projects have had to be extended. Thus far, works are ongoing at a pace to ensure that the project is completed.
The US$15M East Demerara Water Conservancy- Hope Canal project which is funded entirely by the people of Guyana; when completed will significantly reduce the vulnerability of flooding in Guyana’s low-lying coastal areas which are currently threatened by sea level rise as a result of Climate Change.
In the past, residents of Hope, Mahaica/ Mahaicony/ Abary and surrounding communities suffered tremendously as a result of flood, hence the need for such a critical project. It is anticipated that with the completion of Hope Canal the frequent opening of the Lama and Maduni Sluices during the rainy season would not be necessary.
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