In a spirited rebuttal, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), has shot down the Alliance for Change (AFC)’s demands for a feasibility study on the proposed high-span fixed bridge set to replace the aging Berbice River Bridge.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Dr. Jagdeo firmly asserted that such a study is unnecessary.
On Monday, the AFC voiced doubts about the project’s feasibility and called for a new study. But at his weekly press conference, Dr. Jagdeo made it clear that the government had already conducted a comprehensive feasibility study back in 2004 before the Berbice Bridge was originally built.
This study had pinpointed the optimal location for the bridge and assessed its potential impacts.
Dr. Jagdeo emphasized that replacing the floating bridge with a robust concrete structure has always been a part of the government’s modernization strategy.
“What sort of feasibility study do you really need when you have to connect two points across a river? We have to do it in any case, if we want to develop Berbice, and we intend to develop Berbice,” he said.
He argued that a new feasibility study would be redundant since the new bridge is designed to upgrade and enhance the existing structure.
Dr. Jagdeo contrasted this situation with a controversial study from the previous APNU+AFC administration concerning a new Demerara River Crossing.
He highlighted that this study, conducted by a company that submitted an unsolicited proposal, was approved by the cabinet in a manner that bypassed the open tendering process, violating the Procurement Act.
“This study was done by a company that made an unsolicited proposal to the minister. They cancelled the bid process; this company walked into the ministry and handed a proposal to the minister and his staff. [The minister] then took the proposal to the cabinet, bypassed the tendering system…that is illegal,” he said.
Dr. Jagdeo criticized the cabinet’s actions, stating that they exceeded their authority by approving the contract rather than merely providing a “no-objection” as stipulated by the Procurement Act.
He further compared this to the current bridge project, noting the previous study’s shortcomings and the cabinet’s use of Demerara Harbour Bridge Company funds for what he called a minimal improvement.
He also took aim at the opposition for its negative stance on development and its tendency to spread misinformation for political gain. Dr. Jagdeo underscored that the new Berbice Bridge will greatly benefit Guyanese, boosting connectivity between Demerara and Berbice.
On the development front, the government has already kicked off the construction of the new Demerara River crossing—a $260 million project set to alleviate traffic congestion and open up new areas for development in Region Three.
Additionally, a $35 million bridge is on the way to replace the single-lane bridge connecting Wismar to McKenzie in Linden, promising smoother commutes and support for the manufacturing sector.
