Four Chinese firms among five prequalified for Corentyne River Bridge project

Jun 28, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Four out of the five contractors/ joint ventures who have been shortlisted for the Corentyne River Bridge project are Chinese owned.

In a release on Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Works stated that the list of pre-qualified contractors for the project are as follow: China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) – (China); China Railway Construction International Ltd (CRCCI) in joint venture with China Railway Construction Caribbean Co Ltd (CRCCCL), and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd (CRBG) – (China); Ballast Nedam Infra Suriname B.V.; China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) – (China); and China Overseas Engineering Group Co Ltd (COVEC) in joint venture with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREEC), and China Railway First Group (CRRG).

Kaieteur News had reported that the Corentyne River Bridge, which is a project being embarked on by both the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, will be constructed using the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOM) model. It will be done through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. This means that the successful contractor or joint venture will be responsible for its final design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance.

The bridge, according to a Public Works Ministry’s advertisement, will span the Corentyne River from South Drain in Suriname to Moleson Creek in Guyana, and is slated to have a life span of 100 years.

Back in May last year, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, alongside Suriname’s Minister, Dr. Riad Nurmohamed, inked the contract for the feasibility study and design of the bridge with consultancy firm, WSP Caribbean Limited, a Trinidadian Firm. The contract was awarded to the Trinidadian firm to the tune of US$2 million and is said to have a seven-month duration.

An artist’s impression of the bridge across the Corentyne River.

In its statement yesterday, the Public Works Ministry said that the Surinamese Minister will visit Guyana on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the second High-Level Decision Makers (HLDM) Meeting for the project.

This meeting heralds the culmination of the Consultancy assignment that was awarded to WSP Caribbean in May 2022 for the Feasibility Study and Detailed Designs for the Construction of a Bridge over the Corentyne River.

The ministry noted that the meeting is a milestone activity of the Consultancy where the key experts from WSP Caribbean will present the main findings and key considerations and field questions from the Guyana and Suriname delegations.

While in Guyana too, the Surinamese Minister will meet with Minister Edghill to discuss matters relating to the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge for which Tender Document was issued to the five (5) prequalified contractors on May 9, 2023 and will close on August 1, 2023.

The Ministry shared too that according to the agreement reached between Guyana and Suriname at the first HLDM Meeting in Suriname which was held in February, offers for the project will be evaluated, negotiated and a contract awarded by October 2023.

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Bridge, China Railway Construction International Ltd (CRCCI), Corentyne, project, river

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