Contract for Wismar Bridge to be signed this week - Pres. Ali

Contract for Wismar Bridge to be signed this week – Pres. Ali

Jan 04, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday evening said that the much-anticipated contract for the reconstruction of the Wismar Bridge in Linden, Region 10 is to be signed later this week.

President Irfaan Ali

Labeling the bridge as a “major public investment” for the mining town and the broader region, President Ali emphasised the significant impact this infrastructure endeavour would have on alleviating traffic congestion. The current bridge’s limitation to a single vehicle lane has been a persistent bottleneck for the area.

Notably, in June 2023, the Government of Guyana signed two loan agreements valued at US$150 million with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for infrastructural projects. While the lion’s share of the funds was earmarked for expanding the local housing programme across three regions, a portion has been allocated for crucial upgrades to the Wismar Bridge in Linden.

The project was touted at US$35 million and will serve to connect Wismar to Mackenzie. The contract for this ambitious project is set to be formalised with China Railway Construction Limited and aims to be completed within a 24-month timeframe.

However, subsequent developments saw the National Assembly approving an additional $2.1 billion for the Wismar Bridge construction in August 2023. This supplementary allocation, overseen by the Ministry of Public Works, drew scrutiny from the opposition, questioning the necessity for extra funds given the earlier secured loan. In response, the government clarified that the supplementary funds were specifically designated for local aspects of the project, primarily focusing on the bridge’s construction itself.

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congestion, Contract, President Irfaan Ali, reconstruction, Wismar Bridge

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