Plans to construct a long-anticipated bridge linking Guyana and Suriname have reached an advanced stage, with discussions poised to resume once Suriname’s new government is fully established.
This was revealed by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, during the Jamaican Export and Investment Mission meeting held Friday at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
“We’re building a bridge to Suriname,” Dr. Singh told the forum. “We haven’t started construction yet, but discussions with our Surinamese counterparts were at an advanced stage. Suriname has recently held elections, and once the new administration is settled, we will resume talks.”
The Guyana-Suriname bridge is part of a wider regional initiative to enhance physical connectivity between Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil.
According to Dr. Singh, the government’s five-year infrastructure agenda includes strategic transport investments aimed at enabling seamless overland travel from Georgetown to Paramaribo and onward to Brazil.
“This opens up all sorts of possibilities,” he said, referencing the transformative potential of such a development for regional integration, trade, and tourism.
The bridge, estimated at US$236 million, will be constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and will span approximately 3.1 kilometres across the Corentyne River.
It is designed to link Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname, with a landing point on Long Island.
Authorities plan to develop Long Island into a dynamic, duty-free commercial and tourism hub.
Just last month, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi indicated that the sod-turning ceremony for the bridge would occur within weeks.
Once completed, the Corentyne River bridge is expected to significantly strengthen bilateral ties, expand trade networks, and unlock new opportunities for investment and tourism in both nations.
To travel between Guyana and Suriname, you can take a ferry across the Corentyne River between Moleson Creek (Guyana) and South Drain (Suriname) or fly directly between Georgetown and Paramaribo via regional airlines.
