Guyana abandons PPP plans for new Demerara River Bridge

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Guyana abandons PPP plans for new Demerara River Bridge

According to the Minister for Public Infrastructure of Guyana, David Patterson, the government will not use a PPP model to develop the New Demerara River Bridge (NDRB).

The build - own - operate - transfer (BOOT) structure selected by the previous administration to carry out the project will not be used by the coalition formed by "A Partnership for National Unity" plus "Alliance for Change" (APNU+AFC) government.

The Minister said that the expressions of interest (EOI) submitted in March 2014 to the agency in charge of procurement of the project, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), were never opened and government has no intention of opening them either. Mr Patterson stated:

"I don't know which model we will use but it will not be the P3, we are not going down that route again; we will find out first what is the best option available."

The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a 6,074-foot (1,851 m) long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. It was constructed by the UK firm Thomas Storey Engineers Limited and had a life of 10 years. From 1995 to 1998 the bridge underwent major rehabilitation by the Damien Ship Yards of the Netherlands at a cost of US$9 million and was given an extended life of 15 years (from 1995). The bridge crosses the Demerara River 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the Guyanese capital Georgetown.

At present, the state-owned Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation is responsible for the management and collection of tolls, and the average annual revenue collection is approximately US$1.9 million.

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