NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The government, through the Bridge Authority, will borrow $80 million to fund the reconstruction of the Glass Window Bridge in North Eleuthera. The Draft Estimates of Revenue & Expenditure for the 2025/26 fiscal year revealed this borrowing plan, but such a price tag has attracted criticism.
It was previously revealed that the project would cost approximately $60 million, a figure that Leonard Sands, president of the Contractors Association had called “astronomical and absurd.” Sands questioned the basis for the high cost and urged transparency and detailed cost breakdowns.
Works Minister Clay Sweeting previously defended the increased cost, explaining that the original 2020 estimates were based on preliminary designs and pre-pandemic prices. He attributed the rise to construction inflation and more detailed geotechnical studies conducted since then.
In addition to the bridge project, the government plans to borrow $75 million through the Public Hospital Authority to fund repairs and upgrades at the Freeport Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, reinforcing efforts to improve the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
In May 2023, the government broke ground on a $210 million Health Campus at the site off East Sunrise Highway near the Lucayan roundabout. The project will be constructed in three phases. The first phase will establish a dedicated primary, outpatient, and urgent care center. The second phase will add an in-patient surgery and acute care facility to provide quality treatment for patients with severe or urgent conditions, injuries, or those recovering from surgery. The final phase will focus on building medical and surgical clinical support areas to complete the campus.
