De facto govt. forges ahead with plans for new bridge at Wismar

Jul 07, 2020 News

– to hold virtual public consultation

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) is moving forward with plans for the construction of a brand new bridge at Wismar, Linden, with public consultations set for today, despite its caretaker status following the December 21, 2018 No Confidence Motion.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

It would come despite its de facto status, following a victory by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), as indicated by the national recount of votes.
A public notice on the Ministry’s Facebook page indicated that the consultation will be done via Zoom meeting, a consequence of the COVID-19 guidelines which restrict public gatherings. The public is invited to tell of “how the project might impact you and your environment,” “provide input into the bridge design for consideration,” and “ask questions”.
Persons will have the opportunity to present alternative bridge designs.

A section of the public notice on the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Facebook page

Politecnica – Building for Humans, a consultant company involved in architecture and urban planning is branded on the poster.
The Caribbean Development Bank is also branded, indicating that the Government intends to fund the project with offerings from the bank.
An August 2018 article from the Department of Public Information had stated that the amount would be $919.3 million (US$4.4 million).On June 8, the Facebook page posted a video of the concept art for the bridge, with the caption: “Preliminary Design of the Linden Wismar Bridge, Region Ten. Big things coming your way Linden.”
At the time of this post, the results of the recount had just been released, showing the PPP/C to have won by 15,416 valid votes.
In contrast, plans for the new bridge were announced two years ago, and National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) records show that bids had been made since early 2019.
Politecnica had asked for US$700,000 to conduct the feasibility study and prepare the design.
Minister David Patterson sought authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the construction of the bridge, in September 2019.

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