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Chinese firm wins bid to build Corentyne River Bridge
Kaieteur News- The construction of the Corentyne River Bridge between Guyana and Suriname will be executed by China Road & Bridge Corporation, a construction firm from China.
Quoted in a Bloomberg article on Sunday, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill confirmed the contractor and said that the company was agreed upon by both Guyana and Suriname. This publication reported that the Corentyne River Bridge, is a project being undertaken by both the governments of Guyana and Suriname.
An artist’s impression of the proposed Corentyne River Bridge between Guyana and Suriname.
Kaieteur News had reported that China Road & Bridge Corporation was among three bidders that submitted proposals to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office last year. At that opening, it was revealed that Ballast Nedam Infra Suriname bid US$325,400,000 for the contract, while China Road & Bridge Corporation bid US$236,173,962. Another Chinese company – China Railway Caribbean Company Limited also submitted a bid but the amount was not listed.
According to media reports, both Guyana and Suriname governments had requested funding from China for the project. The governments are still awaiting the financial approval.
In a Department of Public Information article last year July, Minister Edghill was quoted stating, “We have gone through the full tender process, we have a preferred contractor at the end of an evaluation process and both governments have agreed to approach our partner, the Republic of China to finance the project.”
He disclosed then that Suriname’s President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi had visited China, carrying a letter signed by himself and President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to solidify the financing agreement.
The public works minister posited that once the financial agreement is finalised, construction of the bridge will begin, DPI had reported. Kaieteur News reported that the bridge 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 Ministry of Public Works said the bridge 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.
In May 2022, the consultancy assignment for the Feasibility Study and Detailed Designs for the Construction of the bridge was awarded to WSP Caribbean, amounting to US$2 million. The assignment included various works such as topographic assessment, hydraulic and hydrographic studies, traffic demand analysis, financial and economic evaluation, environmental assessment, and the preliminary design of the bridge and roads.
The bridge will span approximately 1,100 metres in length with 22 spans measuring 50 metres each. The sub-structure will be designed to withstand minor vessel impact. The carriageway is expected to span around 10.05 metres, accommodating two lanes under regular conditions and three lanes during emergencies or controlled situations. Additionally, the bridge will feature utilities inside the box girder, which will include an inspection path width of 260 metres, among other features. The infrastructure project holds immense potential for fostering economic growth, strengthening regional integration, and improving transportation links between the two neighbouring nations.
(Chinese firm wins bid to build Corentyne River Bridge)
- China Road & Bridge Corporation, contractor chosen, Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works, Suriname and Guyana
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