Recently, the team led by Professor Wang Lifeng from the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at NEFU successfully won the bid for the construction monitoring project of the new Demerara River Bridge, a large-span cable-stayed bridge in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, South America. This marks another significant achievement for the team, following their previous projects in Bangladesh, the Republic of the Gambia, and Singapore.
In May 2022, the China Railway Construction Corporation signed a construction contract with the Ministry of Public Works of Guyana in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. This project is regarded as the largest public transportation infrastructure project in Guyana’s history, with a total investment of $260 million. Situated on the Demerara River in Georgetown, the main bridge features a twin-tower, twin-cable-stayed, prestressed concrete structure with spans of 135, 300, and 135 meters. It has a total length of 2,898 meters and includes four vehicle lanes in both directions, plus lanes for non-motorized traffic. Designed for a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the bridge is expected to have a lifespan of 100 years.
The Demerara River, one of Guyana’s most important rivers, signifies that the completion of the new Demerara River Bridge will have a profound impact. This bridge project is a crucial public welfare initiative, highly prioritized by the Guyanese government. It is anticipated to significantly enhance logistics and transportation between the riverbanks, reduce travel costs for local residents, improve transportation efficiency across regions, and promote economic development and regional integration.
After winning the bid for the project, Professor Wang Lifeng proactively organized his team members to thoroughly study the project requirements and develop detailed plans and strategies for every aspect of the project. Leading the monitoring team, Professor Wang embarked on a journey to the bridge construction site in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Upon arrival, they conducted meticulous surveys of the surrounding environment of the bridge, collected relevant data, and coordinated with local departments and personnel. The team strictly adhered to the plans and standards to ensure the quality and safety of the bridge construction. Meanwhile, all parties agreed to strengthen multidimensional cooperation to address the project’s technical challenges, technology project applications, and talent development. They also collaborated on research and development in emerging technologies to achieve mutual benefits through cooperation.
This project showcases the team’s research capabilities and commitment to serving the Belt and Road initiative and provides valuable practical opportunities for young faculty and students. The team plans to use this opportunity to continue leveraging its strengths to cultivate outstanding talents for the nation and society. Additionally, they aim to enhance international academic exchanges and cooperation, promote Chinese technology globally, and demonstrate NEFU’s educational strength and influence.
