The construction of the highly-anticipated bridge at Wismar, Linden could begin before the end of this year, says Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo.
The VP, during a press conference on Thursday, said authorities have received three offers thus far, with one with an estimated pitch of US$35M appearing to be most favourable. Nevertheless, the VP said that a team will be assembled to further negotiate with the contractor, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited.
Jagdeo confirmed that this is the same company gearing to construct a US$260M bridge linking Region Three to Four, replacing the current ineffective floating structure at Schoonard.
He added that the same team that negotiated the new Demerara River Bridge will also form part of the unit that will haggle with the company for the Wismar structure. Guyana Standard understands that four persons have already been identified. They are: Civil Engineer Marcel Gaskin, Attorneys-at-Law Teni Housty and Ronald Burch-Smith, and Finance Secretary, Sukrishnalall Pasha.
“So, we anticipate that before the end of this year, the construction of the four-lane bridge, a concrete structure across the river at Wismar, will start,” Jagdeo said.
