CJIA US$150M renovation... All four Passenger bridges down

CJIA US$150M renovation… All four Passenger bridges down

Sep 12, 2019 News

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has suspended the use of its four passenger bridges to carry out emergency works in the area.

Passengers disembarking a Copa Airline flight from Panama yesterday.

The bridges were key to increase the level of comfort for passengers who are arriving and departing.
Before time, passengers were forced to make the long walk across the tarmac to the planes and to the airport terminal, in rain and sunshine.
According to sources, the decision to suspend the use of the bridges was taken Monday after it was found that the foundation which the structure was standing on was not stable.
It was only a matter of time before the safety of passengers would have been jeopardized, Kaieteur News was told.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure did not give much details.
It advised that the use of passenger boarding bridges at the CJIA has been temporarily suspended.
“This scheduled suspension is required to facilitate the execution of other works of the Airport Expansion Project. We sincerely apologize for this temporary inconvenience and would like to assure you that works will be done within the shortest time possible. “
In 2011, the outgoing Bharrat Jagdeo administration inked one of the biggest infrastructural projects for the country.

The four passenger bridges at the airport have been down since Monday, it has been announced.

The US$150M project would have seen a brand new terminal, eight passenger bridges and a longer runway to accommodate wide-body planes.
However, the Coalition Government after an assessment on entering office in 2015 modified the project, without much explanation, keeping the old terminal, gutting it and giving it a facelift.
A smaller building was constructed to house the arrival.
There is no viewing gallery.
The eight bridges have been reduced to four…there is simply not enough space to take more.
The project has been dragging on now since its announcement in 2011.
The project was supposed to be completed in 32 months.
It has become a major scandal with inflated prices in the inception and now a modified project with little ideas where the money has gone.
In the meantime, there is no known sanction for the consultants, CEMCO and MMM Group from Canada and the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company.
However, the people of Guyana are obligated to repay the loan to China.

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