NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president expressed concern yesterday over the $60 million reconstruction cost of the Glass Window Bridge, calling it “absurd and astronomical” and questioning how that figure was determined.
Leonard Sands told Eyewitness News: “$60 million is a significant amount of money. What is alarming is the way we talk about it. They would have paved 90-odd miles in Eleuthera for just under $100 million. In Exuma, almost 100 miles were paved for around $80-something million. You’re talking less than 200 feet, and you’re thinking it costs half as much as it costs to pave an entire island. Right-thinking persons would say, “Hold up”. $60 million is an unrealistic cost for that bridge in any way, shape, or form. Why would any government want to spend that much money on a bridge, especially not in New Providence?’”
Works Minister Clay Sweeting defended the increased cost earlier this month, explaining that the original 2020 estimates were based on preliminary designs and pre-COVID construction costs.
“The final cost of the geotechnical stage, coupled with construction inflation over the past five years, has brought us to the final cost of $60 million,” Sweeting said. Former Works Minister Desmond Bannister also voiced concerns about the rising costs, urging the government in an Eyewitness News interview to explain the significant increase. Sweeting responded that the 2020 feasibility study had projected costs between $26.1 million and $35.6 million based on five design options. He added that construction inflation, especially post-pandemic, has sharply driven up prices.
Sweeting further explained that Cabinet has approved using United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) credit support, which will accelerate the project and secure competitive financing. The loan agreement is expected to be finalized by early 2025, with construction beginning shortly after and completion anticipated by early 2027. Sweeting emphasized the Glass Window Bridge’s importance in connecting North Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, and Harbour Island, noting that closures due to bad weather disrupt communities and make alternative routes expensive and difficult.
Sands noted: “From a construction standpoint, how people perceive contractors is shaped by statements like these regarding costs. This is astronomical, and I don’t want that to be the view the public has of contractors. Someone has inflated the cost. I stand by that. The cost isn’t real. I can show you the comparative cost of a bridge in Milwaukee, Baltimore, or Delaware that is the same span. To suggest that it costs $60 million is absurd.”
He added: “If inflation were applicable to everything across the board, people wouldn’t be able to afford homes right now if we apply the same rule of thumb. The reason the bridge needs to be replaced is that it has been in a state of disrepair for so long. It has reached the end of its life cycle and needs to be replaced. Concrete has a life cycle, impacted by hurricanes and traffic crossing it. What we are discussing is replacement cost. If this is a real cost, then present the documents and findings to the public for scrutiny. We have to be careful because, at the end of the day, the citizens have to pay for what the government says we need. Whether all of the funds go to the project or only some of it does, we still have to pay all of the debt. As the president of the contractors’ association, I would love to see that quote and line items showing how they arrived at that estimate.”
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