Dr Roger Luncheon
The ambitious plan of the governments of Guyana and Suriname to bridge the Corentyne River is still on the card and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said some preliminary works have been completed and ground work will begin shortly.
He told a news conference last Friday that a final decision is yet to be made regarding the construction of the bridge, but discussions are continuing and officials are now looking to finalise preliminary studies to continue with the project.
Dr Luncheon also said the Guyana government was looking at the possibility of the bridge being completed within the next three to five years, but this may not be possible.
Feasibility
“A considerable amount of works have been completed at the site where it will be built, selection and feasibility etc,” Dr Luncheon said.
The Cabinet secretary noted that the project calls for serious planning, pointing out that making a decision on the project will require a step-by-step process.
This, he said is to ensure that both the Surinamese and Guyanese governments are not at any point accused of poor technical work.
Funding for the project has been an ongoing deliberation between Suriname, Guyana and international financial institutions.
Dr Luncheon said the two countries have signalled strong support for the establishment of land linkages across the Corentyne River.
The initiative was identified as one of a series of projects that would further physically integrate South America at a recent Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) meeting.
During his presidential campaign, Surinamese President Desi Bouterse had promised to build a bridge across the Corentyne River, should he be elected.
Bouterse had said that it is necessary for technical assessments to be done before the project meets the construction phase.
During a one-day meeting in Suriname last year, President Donald Ramotar and Bouterse had agreed to move to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to seek joint financing for the bridge that will link the two countries via the Corentyne River.
The two presidents had reiterated the importance of the construction of the bridge, noting that it would considerably enhance trade and economic relations as well as cultural exchanges between the peoples of the two countries.
