East Bank Public Road to reopen ahead of schedule as Demerara Bridge construction finishing early 

The section of the East Bank Public Road closed for continued work on the new Demerara River Bridge will open at the end of Sunday, instead of the 03:00 hrs Monday target, due to construction work finishing ahead of schedule. 

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, on Sunday afternoon, told reporters that the roadway will be fully reopened at midnight as girder placement should be completed then. 

He also noted that the overall completion of the bridge is still set for the end of August. Construction work at other sections of the bridge is moving ahead as planned. 

“Contractors working round the clock, Sunday to Sunday,” Edghill said on Sunday. 

The US$260 million new river bridge will become the first in South America. It is designed to cater to vehicles of all sizes and weights with a length stretching 1.25 miles (2.01km).

The new structure will land at the back of Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, and La Grange, West Bank Demerara. 

It is a fixed, 2.65-kilometer (km), four-lane, high-span, cable-stayed structure, with a driving surface of 23.6 metres. It will feature a bicycle lane. It will also end bridge closures for vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed-high span.

With a lifespan of at least 100 years, the structure serves as a strategic link between Regions Three and Four, facilitating the movement of thousands of individuals, vehicles and cargo. Importantly, it will open up a wave of economic activities and opportunities.