CABINET HAS approved the construction of a $470 million permanent bridge to replace the Yallahs River Bailey bridge in St. Thomas, which was swept away by flood waters just over a year ago.
Robert Pickersgill, Transport and Works Minister, made the announcement on Tuesday in the House of Representatives while making his contribution to the 2004/05 Sectoral Debate.
The Minister indicated that work had begun on the design of the new bridge to be constructed at Poorman's Corner in the vicinity of the Yallahs Fording.
"We envisage that in about six months time, the design drawings will be ready. Thereafter we will invite tenders," Mr. Pickersgill said.
But in June last year, the Government had announced Cabinet approval for the same construction, at a reported cost of $180 million, to replace the Bailey bridge which had been destroyed by flood rain.
TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC
At that time Dr. Fenton Ferguson, State Minister in the Transport Ministry, said the new Yallahs bridge would be similar to the Bustamante Bridge (also in St. Thomas), approximately 600 feet in length with a clearance of 20 feet, and would accommodate two lanes of traffic as well as five extra feet of pedestrian walkway.
Minister Ferguson had indicated that the final design of the bridge was just six weeks away and that, once the design had been completed, actual construction was expected to take from 22 to 24 months.
The State Minister had also revealed that funding for the construction of the bridge had already been secured through the Mabey-Johnson organisation, operating out of the United Kingdom.
Dr. Ferguson, speaking to The Gleaner shortly after a press conference at the Transport Ministry yesterday, said that the Government had initially envisioned a bridge that, by design, would cost about £5,000,000.
"Based on devaluation, we are looking at £5,000,000 being over $500 million," he said.
"What we are expecting is to do the construction which will also include protective works in terms of river training for the bridge. There are (additional) works which will not be done," he said.
