Minister Edghill honours displaced families as Guyana opens Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge

In an emotional and historic moment at the commissioning of the new Demerara River Bridge, Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill began his address not with statistics or steel, but with heartfelt gratitude to the families who gave up their homes to make the nation’s most transformative infrastructure project possible.

“To those who gave up their entire homes for this great cause, I say, thank you,” Edghill told thousands who gathered for the commissioning of the bridge and the thousands more who watched the live broadcast.

“Your patience and partnership built the foundation of this bridge as surely as the concrete itself”, he said.

The new 2,798-meter cable-stayed bridge, Guyana’s longest and most advanced river crossing, was officially opened on Sunday, October 5, as a symbol of national unity, engineering excellence, and rapid development.

But for Minister Edghill, its true strength lies in the human story behind it, which is the resilience of communities who endured years of dust, detours, and displacement along the East Bank Demerara corridor.

“This bridge does not only belong to the state,” he said. “It belongs to you, every Guyanese, and to generations yet to come”, the minister said.

The US$262 million bridge, built by a Chinese group led by China Railway Construction Corporation, replaces the old Demerara Harbour Bridge. It has four lanes for vehicles, paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and allows ships to pass at any time. The foundations are supported by 658 piles that go up to 400 feet into the riverbed, making them the strongest in Guyana.

President Ali, praised by Minister Edghill for his visionary leadership that made the project a reality in just over a year, received a standing ovation.

Work started on December 22, 2022, and finished earlier than expected, despite its technical complexity.

Edghill also praised the 1,300-plus workers, local engineers, safety teams from Guyana’s Polytechnic Institute, and early pro bono contributions by engineers Murilli and Gaskin. 

“There are still bridges to be built,” the minister vowed, “bridges of opportunity, equality, and connection” as Guyana races to link every community from coast to hinterland in an era of unprecedented growth sweeping the nation.