An artist’s rendering of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge
August 19, 2021
There will be no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted before the construction of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge as the EPA yesterday announced that it “will not significantly affect the environment,” even as it listed potential impacts.
“The EPA has screened the application for the grant of an environmental permit… and determined that it will not significantly affect the environment. Consequently, the proposed project is exempt from the requirement to conduct an EIA…,” an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notice in the Guyana Chronicle yesterday stated.
The Stabroek News contacted both the EPA and the Ministry of Public Works for an explanation of the decision which will likely raise eyebrows.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill responded that given that the decision is the EPA’s, that agency should state the reason.
This newspaper contacted the office of the EPA and was told that its head, Kemraj Parsram, was in a budget meeting and would be there all day.
The Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) contends that replacing the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge is necessary “to provide the country with a sustainable solution for future river crossing as the existing crossing by a floating bridge in Peter’s Hall is causing traffic congestion by a long opening time, low capacity, large maintenance costs and is a risk regarding continuity of the river crossing due to its age and vulnerability.”
“The proposed high span bridge replacement is intended to fix this problem and will be more appropriate to facilitate traffic going to or from Georgetown,” it adds.
An outline of the project underscores that an effective transportation system connects people to the supply and distribution of goods and services in both social and economic sectors and is therefore essential to sustainable growth and development.
The need for commuters to have such a system is the reason given by the government as to why it seeks to replace the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge.
The project summary asserts that the current bridge has surpassed its technical life, and the proposed bridge is an effort to improve the efficiency of the transport system. “The current bridge requires fundamental overhaul, replacement, maintenance and repair. Road capacity is limited due to the retraction system. Opening times are long, due to the slow retraction process. The structure is vulnerable for incidents from vehicles and vessels as well as river forces. As the bridge is the only connection, the West Bank economy and population will suffer significantly in case the bridge cannot be used over longer time. There is currently no good alternative,” the summary states.
According to the project description, the replacement bridge will span the Demerara River from Nandy Park to La Grange, upstream and in proximity to the existing harbour bridge.
This location shall allow an easy connection to the existing access roads on the West Bank of Demerara and new access roads will be constructed on the East Bank of Demerara. The replacement structure will be a fixed four-lane bridge with a vertical clearance over the channel of approximately 50 metres above the maximum tide level. The proposed design allows for the bridge to be connected to the main road network through road approaches connecting it to the West Bank Public Road and the imminent Mandela to Eccles road, respectively.
Bids for the project will open on October 3rd 2021, following a two-month extension requested by potential bidders. Chinese companies dominate the shortlisted pre-qualified bidders and constitute seven of the nine companies. They are: China State Construction Eng Corp (China), China Geizhouba Group Co Ltd (China), JV-China Railway Inter-national Group Co Ltd, China Railway Major Bridge Eng Group Co Ltd, Reconnaissance & Design Inst Co Ltd (China), JV-China Road & Bridge Corp, Peutes y Calzadas Infrastructuras SLU (China and Spain), and JV-OECI S.A. The other two companies are Odebrecht Engenharia E. Construcao SA OEC of Brazil, and the Dutch Ballast Needam Infra Suriname BV.
But while government has extended the deadline for submission of bids it is not relenting on having the project completed in two years and this position has already been emphasised to those prequalified, at a pre-bid meeting last June.
Potential bidders are also aware of the scope of works. The Scope of Works, included in the design/build contract, includes the complete design and construction of a two-lane dual carriageway (4 lane), hybrid cable-stayed centre-span bridge with concrete box/T-beam girder approach bridge structures and must include bridge collision protection, a navigation span to accommodate Handymax vessel navigation aids, lighting, signage and all other ancillary works, an access road with a minimum of 50 meters up to abutments, toll-collection buildings and ancillary buildings on the West Bank of the Demerara River.
The EPA said that it has screened the project proposal and from that process has deemed the project as being “categorized as having no significant impact and that minor issues can be addressed through “appropriate and practical environmental safeguards” informed by an Environmental and Social Assessment and Management Plan.
Instead of an EIA, the executing agency -the Ministry of Public Works – has been asked to prepare an Environmental and Social Assessment and Manage-ment Plan (ESAMP), to address “specific issues identified in the screening process.”
While the EPA did not state what the specific issues identified were, it said that the MoPW has to detail specific and practical mitigation measures to ensure that the project can be “undertaken in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner.
‘Envisaged’
A summary of the project on the EPA’s website, lists potential environmental impacts envisaged by the MoPW.
They are divided into categories of geology and soil, flora, air quality, noise, and water quality. MoPW has listed the potential impact for each and the proposed mitigation measures.
For the environmental component of geology and soil, the project proposal lists erosion and sedimentation from construction activities such as land clearing, piling, etcetera, as potential impacts.
Proposed mitigation includes phased and planned land clearing, landscaping, construction of abutments, use of erosion control matting and other physical measures and post-construction landscaping.
Under flora, the potential impact is listed as deforestation due to the clearance of vegetation for construction.
Mitigation includes an accurate calculation of area to be cleared, phased clearing to minimise top soil exposure and the replanting, and re-vegetation post-construction.
Possible air quality effects, the project summary states, would be from the operation of machinery and the stockpiling of material are potential sources of air pollution and dust emissions respectively.
Noise is expected to be generated from the operation of equipment on site and pile driving activities during the construction phase. To cushion the impact, the MoPW says that heavy-duty equipment will be outfitted with silencers and mufflers to abate noise level emissions. Vehicles will also be regularly maintained to facilitate effective functioning. It states that as far as possible, pile driving hammers will be equipped with noise attenuation devices.
Pertaining to the issue of water quality, the potential exists for sedimentation and discoloration due to surface runoff, erosion and pile driving activities; and the contamination of surrounding water bodies from fuel/oil/lubricants spills.
“Erosion control measures will be implemented and construction materials will be stored outside drainage lines in order to minimize sedimentation,” the project summary states.
‘(A) large quantity of fuel will be stored in an impervious, bounded area (secondary containment) to minimize adverse impacts to the environment in the event of spillage,” it adds.
