Berbice Chamber wants river bridge at original site
-- says change could cost N/A business
by Mark Ramotar
Guyana Chronicle
June 8, 2004
THE Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is uncomfortable with the government's announcement on the new proposed site to build a bridge across the Berbice River and has indicated that it would lobby the New Amsterdam Town Council in an effort to galvanize support for a change in the current plans.
BCCI Public Relations Officer, Mr Norman Semple, told the Chronicle in an invited comment that the Chamber was disappointed that the government had not consulted the body on the new Berbice River Bridge plans.
According to Semple, the decision not to support the new plans is in the interest of sustaining business in the town of New Amsterdam.
The Chamber is maintaining that it would like to see a bridge built at the site originally proposed, which was from Ithaca on the west bank of the Berbice River to Highbury on the east bank.
Should this bridge be built where the government now plans to put it, this could divert traffic from New Amsterdam, and would take along much needed business for the further development of the town, Semple explained.
The Chamber intends to use every opportunity through the media to highlight the reasons for not agreeing with the change, he said.
Government announced last month that a feasibility study on the project, which began in 2003, has been completed. The study, which was conducted by a French company, recommends a change in the location of the bridge.
The government had originally planned to have the bridge located nearby Highbury, which would have also seen repairs done to the road leading to Highbury.
The study recommends that the Berbice River Bridge be located at D' Edward Village and proceed to Crab Island, eventually linking the Corentyne Highway.