NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting has defended the estimated $86.35 million cost of the new Glass Window Bridge in Parliament, stressing that the figure is based on engineering assessments and international tender protocols.
“There seems to be a lot of talk about the cost of the Glass Window Bridge,” Sweeting said during his Budget debate contribution. “It’s important to note that this is an estimated cost for budget purposes.”
Sweeting emphasized that he, as the Member of Parliament for Central and South Eleuthera, does not personally assign costs. “We have followed an open international tender. The tender cost will be fair and accurate for the works,” he said.
He noted that while the bridge design is relatively simple, the construction is logistically challenging due to the location. “You really cannot put the weight of the machines on that existing bridge structure,” he explained, referencing a 12-ton weight limit previously mentioned by a former minister.
As a result, he noted that a temporary landing site will have to be constructed to facilitate the build. The new bridge is planned to span 2,218 feet, comprising fourteen 112-foot main spans and eleven 50-foot spans. Additionally, a 300-foot bridge with six 50-foot spans will be built to the north elevation, 15 to 20 feet above the current structure and about 60 feet away.
Sweeting broke down the preliminary costs as follows:
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Insurance and offer fees: $1.2 million
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Staff accommodation and shipping: $18.2 million
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Site compound, utilities, lighting, security, and traffic management: $6.4 million
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Temporary works including dock, haul road, and road pad: $17.4 million
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Road works: $4.4 million
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North approach bridge: $2 million
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Main bridge structure: $25.4 million
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Visitor center: $3.5 million
“The Glass Window Bridge is supposed to be more than a bridge,” Sweeting said. “It is a touristic experience—somewhere for culture to thrive, somewhere for the orange economy to thrive.”
With VAT added, Sweeting noted that the total estimated cost comes to $86.35 million.
“These costs are estimates by the engineers at the Ministry of Works,” he reiterated, adding that final figures will be included in a forthcoming tender document. “All this stuff will be open. All this stuff will be open.”
