Contractor being sought by government to construct Puruni bridge

The Natural Resources Ministry (MoNR) through the government has announced that they are in
search of contractor to construct a bridge for the Puruni river crossing. The Puruni river is a
tributary of the Mazaruni river, Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven).
It said that improving connectivity and increasing productivity in Guyana are two manifesto
promises of the PPP/C, adding that upgrading and transforming the physical infrastructure plays
a critical role in fully attaining these goals. It stated that the government has made strides in this
regard.
The Puruni river flows through an area with rich mineral resources and dense forested
vegetation. Mining and forestry activities are concentrated along the river and the Kartabu-
Puruni Road. As such, the river and road serve as a means of access to the resources within the
area.
The ministry said that it has since invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) from individuals and/or
corporate bodies. They stated that they would consider options under various models including
Design-Build (D-B) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) or any other suitable model.
The Ministry disclosed that it has required that responses to the EOI should contain adequate
information to be used to determine the optimal model to pursue: D-B or BOT, including all
variants such as DBFO, DBFM, DBFMO; providing sufficient details to guide the final form of
the Design-Build contract associated with the selected model; a conceptual design and
preliminary costing; as well as proposals to maximise local content including local firms,
suppliers, and labour.
The natural resources ministry stated that the allocation and integration of responsibilities
between the government and the contractor include the finalisation of the road alignment on each
side of the Puruni river to minimise its impact and achieve an early completion date; the
responsibility for the final environmental studies and permitting.
It said that the Kartabo-Puruni Road, leading from the Teperu Crossing at Itaballi at the mouth of
Mazaruni River, is intersected by the Puruni River at a point. The road is part of the network
which connects to the Linden-Lethem access road.
It noted that a pontoon system currently operates at the intersection to facilitate the crossing of
the Puruni River and the point of the pontoon crossing. The area on both sides of the river is
marked by relatively higher lands, thus implying that the area is prone to flooding when the river
inundates and during periods of heavy rainfall.
It added that funding has already been secured for the Linden to Lethem Road.