Berbice River Bridge opens investment opportunities
Kaieteur News
January 15, 2007
NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE - Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha has assured Berbicians that within 18 months there would be a bridge across the Berbice River.
Work, the Regional Chairman said, is going ahead. In 2005, the relocation process began at D'Edward, West Berbice .
He pointed out that this location has reached the approval of those with the required expertise. He posited that after several feasibility studies, that site was selected. The Ithaca/BERMINE location would have been too much for Government. “To do the bridge there you have to do the road on the West Bank and East Bank, so it would cost us another US$25 million. The finance is just not there!”
Mr. Mustapha claimed that those to be removed are pleased with the package offered and are ready for the move. “I cannot give a definite figure but I know they were well compensated. Some (money) was more than the present day market value.”
According to him, the Berbice River Bridge Committee was formed and some US$500 million was advanced to the contractor.
Initially, the project was expected to cost US$13 million, including surveying, but this amount increased to US$45 million.
With the D'Edward/Crab Island location identified, an investor has his eyes set on Crab Island for an oil refinery. “The bridge will cross Crab Island but at the same time, Crab Island will develop…A company wants to invest US$500 million. We have the capacity right here to build a deep water harbour.”
Both Government and the investor are now engaged in discussion.