The Government of Guyana (GOG) has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to commission a feasibility and environmental study, as well as final technical designs, including all the related tender documents for lump sum rehabilitation/construction contract, for the rehabilitation of the Corentyne Highway from New Amsterdam (NA) to Moleson Creek (MC), approximately 90 km, and one of its major links, the Black Bush Polder (BBP) Road, of approximately 32 km. The project also includes the respective bridges and all other drainage structures.

The present NA to MC road, constructed more than 25 years ago, is a 2-lane road surfaced with asphalt layers of variable thickness with most of the shoulders also paved with asphalt. The road serves a population of about 154,000 people and agricultural communities with about 250,000 ha of rice and about 70,000 ha of sugar.

The BBP Road is a one-lane road surfaced with a thin layer of asphalt and serves the predominantly rice-growing area of Black Bush Polder with most of the road approaching failure conditions.

The consultant will be required to carry out a comprehensive and very detailed structural and functional evaluation of the NA to MC road and the BBP road including all structures using current approved techniques of destructive and non-destructive testing (Benkleman Beam) and road roughness by road surface rough-meter.

The consultant will also be required to evaluate the urgent highway safety issues and determine priorities in terms of investment and routine maintenance expenditures needed for the next three to five years.

In addition, the consultant will be required to update and review the year 2000 condition survey of about 500 km of the national inter-urban road network and identify the road sections that need urgent investment for rehabilitation.

The HDM4 will be used for determination of the priority segments following consultations with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.

The GOG now invites interested eligible consulting firms or joint ventures to submit their prequalification information providing evidence of their legal status, qualifications, ability, experience, financial resources and other supporting services for providing the required engineering consulting services.

Further information, including eligibility to participate, may be obtained by inspecting the prequalification documents at the first addres below.

Interested consulting firms may obtain a complete set of prequalification documents on the submission of a written application to the Technical Advisor, Ministry of Public Works and Communications (second address below), between 0800 and 1700 hours, except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, as of 16 July 2001, and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of G$ 15,000.

Submissions must be received at the third address below by 0900 hours on Tuesday, 28 August 2001, and will be opened on the same day at a public ceremony in the presence of representatives of firms who choose to attend in the conference room of the Central Tender Board.

1. Roads Division

Ministry of Public Works and Communications

Fort Street

Kingston. Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel: (592) 226-7774. Fax: (592) 226-0650.

2. Attn: Technical Advisor

Ministry of Public Works and Communications

Wights Lane, Kingston.

Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel: (592) 225-0000. Fax: (592) 225-6954.

3. Attn: Chairman

Central Tender Board

Ministry of Finance

Main and Urquhart Sts.

Georgetown, Guyana