According to Vladim Persaud, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, preparations are moving swiftly for the construction of the new US$260 million Demerara Harbour Bridge.
In his response to the many issues posed in the Report of the Auditor General for the Year 2019 about the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, as it was at the time, Persaud made the disclosure during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at the Public Buildings lately.
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He also informed the committee of the rapid pace at which the new Demerara Harbour Bridge River crossing is being carried out. He claims that as of right now, the company is installing what are referred to as temporary work bridges. These bridges are intended to be used for the piling system setup that needs to go into place.
It was reported that the temporary bridges are being constructed using steel piles. These steel piles are currently being imported from China. According to Persaud, the piles are being installed as they come into the country.
Furthermore, the Permanent Secretary highlighted that the organization already has sites for functional premises. They also have docking facilities on both the eastern and western banks.
China Railway Caribbean Company Limited and J.V. China Railway Construction Corporation (International) are working together on constructing the four lane, high span bridge.
Financial Concerns and Payment Delays Regarding the Demerara Harbour Bridge Project
The project received a $100 million payment, but in 2019, Auditor General Deodat Sharma had concerns about it being disbursed.
According to the explanation that was provided, the Demerara Harbour Bridge did not get the $100 million that the National Assembly had allocated in 2019, and this was in violation of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. The funds were not received until 2020.
The payment delay was attributed to COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions. As of late, the issue has been fixed.
