As the day closed on October 5, seven aircrafts of the Guyana Defence Force flew past Guyana’s newest bridge as it was commissioned in Demerara, Guyana.
Replacing the Demerara Harbour Bridge which stood above the Demerara River for 47 years, the US$262M bridge was officially commissioned as the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. Named after former president and current Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, in honour of his years of service and dedication to the upliftment of Guyana and its people.
Speaking at the commissioning, Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali said, “As President… It is my honour, my privilege, and indeed my duty, to dedicate this bridge in the name of Bharrat Jagdeo. From this day forward, it shall be called the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, because great men deserve recognition, because visionaries deserve legacies, and because Guyana never forgets its giants.”
The bridge now stands as Guyana’s largest and most advanced infrastructure development project to date. The 50-metre fixed high-span cable-stayed bridge is a four-lane 2.6-kilometre concrete structure with a cycle/pedestrian lane that stretches from Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).
Designed with a lifespan of 100 years and built by China Railway Construction (International) Limited with Politecnica as a consultant, the new bridge will, unlike its predecessor, operate toll-free, 24/7 and with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h.
Speaking at the commissioning, Ali said, “It is a signal to the world that a nation is ready, and this bridge speaks loudly, declaring that Guyana is ready. Ready to modernise, ready to industrialise.”
“It will open new corridors of development, pulling jobs and investments and opportunities in communities that will flourish in its orbit. This bridge is therefore not just a crossing. It is a catalyst.”
