A bridge too little
Oct 01, 2017 , Kaieteur News, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...a-bridge-too-little/
An evaluation of the feasibility study into the proposed bridge across the Demerara Harbour Bridge should be undertaken because it does seem bizarre that with the continued increase in motor vehicles in Guyana, that the government could contemplate a three lane bridge.
Such a bridge will not handle existing traffic during peak hours nor will be able to manage the projected increase in vehicular traffic within the next five years.
A three-lane bridge makes no sense. It will not solve the present problems. It will make things more difficult. As such, a proper review of the feasibility study should be undertaken to ensure that the government can explore other options.
The existing feasibility study would have been based on assumptions which have since changed. And among those changes is that government may not necessarily have to borrow money to build this bridge. With oil revenues in the pipeline, the cost of the bridge will become affordable and even increased tolls will be affordable given the higher levels of disposable income available.
A new bridge has to be built, not only because of the increase in traffic but also because the shelf life of the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge has come to end and its maintenance is extremely costly.
It has taken the new government a long time to build on the preparatory work which was done by NICIl. This alone is perhaps a warning to the President that he should hand this entire project over to an overseas firm to design build and construct because if it has taken the Ministry two years to simply carry forward the preparatory work done by the PPP, what chances is there of this bridge being completed within the next three years?
A project of this nature is too big for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. It should create an all-purpose company develop the project. It is too big for a Ministry to execute. You do not need to look far to realize this. The government is struggling to get its capital programme going. The implementation rate is abysmal and this may systemic.
It is therefore not likely that the new bridge across the Demerara River can be completed in time for 2020. Construction may not been be ready to commence then.
In fact, it may be best if nothing is done within the next three years. The reason is that some 2020 Guyana is going to be awash with oil revenues, presuming we have not been shafted in the negotiations of the new contract.
With the oil revenues the government, instead of having to subsidize vehicles using the bridge, the government can build a different kind of bridge to the one now proposed and allow persons free movement. The government can build a non- floating bridge or with the oil money build even an under-river tunnel since this was one of the options which the PPPC was considering.
The feasibility study therefore should be examined in light of the aforementioned concerns. Firstly, the delays in moving this project. Second, the capacity of the government to implement it. Thirdly, the fact that with the present feasibility study, the bridge traffic would have to be subsidized by the government. Fourthly, the government should by 2020 be able to afford to build an overhead bridge or a underwater tunnel.