The hypocrisy!!! ...PPP administration supported location for new Demerara River Bridge

The hypocrisy!!! …PPP administration supported location for new Demerara River Bridge

Sep 15, 2017 News

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has in recent times, expressed “surprise” at the Houston-Versailles location identified by the Government for the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge.

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson

But Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, seems befuddled that Jagdeo could even express such sentiments as well as question the feasibility of the project when it was the PPP administration that supported the venture since 2013.
With hardcore evidence in hand, Patterson told the media during a press conference yesterday, that it is very clear these days that nothing Jagdeo says can be accepted as truthful. In fact, Patterson said that some of Jagdeo’s comments can be deemed as downright lies. Patterson said that the former President’s latest remark about the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, is one such case.
Patterson quoted a prefeasibility study from October 2013 which was done by Engineer R. Charles of the Central Transportation Unit. An extract of the Executive summary of that document says, “This prefeasibility study has shown that a new high level four-lane fixed bridge at Houston-Versailles is the only economical feasibility alternative providing benefits to society that can amount to a minimum sum of $223M over a seven-year cycle at a capital cost of around $264.5M. Other alternatives have proven to be uneconomical.”
The Minister added that in December 2013, NICIL, which Jagdeo is very much acquainted with, had published an advertisement for the bridge. Patterson said that NICIL officials at the time were seeking Expressions of Interest from local and foreign parties interested in being a partner for the design, financing and construction of the new bridge.
The possible sites for the proposed bridge at that time were the locations close to the existing bridge being Houston on the East Bank to Versailles and then to Hopetown. The Public Infrastructure Minister said that NICIL went to tender but was unsuccessful.
Patterson went further to state that a Cabinet paper dated November 7, 2014, showed former Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn requesting funding for a prefeasibility study for the new bridge. Benn, according to the document, asked for $103M. The study concluded that the project is a viable one in the location which is being proposed by the current administration.
With the aforementioned in mind, Patterson concluded that Jagdeo, in spite of his claims and “surprise”, knew of the project’s viability from the start.

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