Guyana and Suriname Pick Chinese Firm to Build Bridge

• Guyana and Suriname have selected China Road & Bridge Corp. to build a $236 million bridge to link the two South American countries across the bordering Corentyne River, Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said Sunday.
• Mr. Edghill said construction would begin as soon as both countries finalise financing for the US$236 million project. The countries will split the $236Mn cost of the bridge equally and have sought financial backing from the Chinese government.
• Guyana and Suriname, which both enjoy long-standing fraternal relations with China, have approached that East Asian nation to finance the construction of the bridge that would hop from Moleson Creek to Long Island and then on to South Drain in the neighbouring former Dutch colony. However, sources indicate that Suriname has to be careful about its borrowing because its economic recovery programme has to reach certain global benchmarks.
• Still, Suriname’s Technical Assistant for Capital Infrastructure Projects had said the bridge would have a lifespan of 100 years and low as possible maintenance. The bridge caters for ships of 47,000 dead weight tonnes, a horizontal clearance of 100 metres and vertical clearance of 43 metres.
• The 1.1 kilometer-long (0.7 mile) bridge will take about three years to build; however, the start date will be linked to finalising the financing with China.

(Sources: BNN Bloomberg and Demerara Waves)