Highway bridge tender process revised |31 May 2005

 This follows the change of funding agent with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) being the agency to oversee the construction that will now be financed through money received from international donors.

Earlier tenders had been invited from potential construction companies who were to furnish the Land Transport Division (LTD) with their own designs when Seychelles Government was to finance the reconstruction.

Now that UNDP is involved in administering money received to assist Seychelles after the December 26 tsunami, LTD will first invite tenders for a design.

LTD engineer Patrick Andre said this on Monday, explaining that after a standard design is approved, tenders will be invited again to construct both that bridge and the other one that was damaged near Roche Caiman.

Mr Andre also announced that access to the part of the dual carriageway leading up to where the damaged bridge was has been blocked with coral fill. This follows an accident on Sunday May 22 when a pick-up leapt into the gap that was left when the bridge was washed away.

"We were a bit puzzled regarding how the driver managed to get on that part of the road because he had to virtually negotiate his way onto the road past our road signs," Mr Andre said.  Caption:  The damaged bridge with the pick up whose driver allegedly negotiated his way to eventually dive into the gap it left