Wismar-Mackenzie bridge is finished, says Public Works minister
The bridge will be free to use, and it should open by the end of the year.
The new four-lane Wismar-Mackenzie bridge is finished, says Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill. He said it should open to the public soon.
The Department of Public Information published the project timeline on 22 October 2026. The contract was signed in January 2024. Work started in April that year.
The building work is done. Officials are still finishing the remaining arrangements. These include setting a date for President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to open the bridge officially.
The government led by the People's Progressive Party/Civic, known as the PPP/C, made the bridge toll-free. The aim is to cut travel costs and improve links between regions.
The contract was worth US$35 million. It was for a new four-lane bridge. The Public Works Permanent Secretary signed for the government. China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co. Ltd signed for the contractor.
Guyana Times reported that the contractor, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, is also building the new Demerara River bridge.
NCN Guyana reported that the new bridge will replace the old one. The Demerara Bauxite Company built that bridge in the 1960s.
Kaieteur News reported that an Italian firm, Politecnica Ingegneria, will oversee the construction. It teamed up with a local firm, SRKN'gineering Associates. The work was worth US$2.2 million.
Stabroek News reported that the minister said the bridge is part of a bigger set of projects. These include the Berbice deep-water harbour and roads in Regions Four, Nine and Ten.
Minister Edghill also said the bridge should open by the end of the year.
The story was first reported by the Department of Public Information.