Dear Editor,
From the outset, it is important to note that infrastructure development must serve as a ladder out of poverty, not a barrier. Its greatest value is measured in the opportunities it creates, the burdens it removes and the lives it improves. As our township, Linden, prepares for tomorrow’s opening of the new MacKenzie–Wismar Bridge, this principle deserves renewed attention. We are celebrating an investment whose significance will extend well beyond the Demerara River.
Editor, for generations, MacKenzie and Wismar have faced each other across that river: two shores, one town, one proud people. Our families, businesses, schools and places of employment have remained connected through a crossing that increasingly struggled to accommodate the demands of a growing township. Tomorrow’s commissioning marks an important advance in our capacity to move, trade and develop.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his administration deserve clear recognition for delivering this substantial piece of infrastructure. The new four-lane bridge, with separated pedestrian walkways and, most importantly, its toll-free access, represents a meaningful improvement in the provision of public infrastructure for Linden and Region Ten. Its opening, scheduled for Sunday, November 15, 2026, represents another promise fulfilled and a commitment honoured.
Over the years, Lindeners have heard promises and examined proposals for a new crossing. President Ali’s administration has brought to completion a four-lane bridge, exceeding the two-lane crossing previously suggested. That achievement deserves appreciation.
Public confidence grows when citizens can see promises and commitments translated into facilities they can use and improvements they can experience. The President, the Ministry of Public Works, the engineers, contractors and workers who contributed to this undertaking deserve commendation. Behind every completed bridge are demanding decisions, technical challenges and sustained human effort. Tomorrow provides an opportunity to recognise that collective contribution and the leadership that carried the project forward.
This additional masterpiece of infrastructure further cements a defining part of President Ali’s legacy. Under his leadership, Guyana’s transformation is becoming visible in changing skylines and the rise of high-rise buildings, as well as in the roads and bridges connecting communities, townships and regions. These investments shorten journeys, strengthen economic relationships and narrow the longstanding divide between the hinterland and the coastland. The Mackenzie–Wismar Bridge gives tangible expression to that vision, strengthening Linden’s place within a more connected and economically integrated Guyana.
The economic importance of this crossing begins with an often underestimated resource: time. Delays impose costs on workers, transport operators, businesses and families. A delivery vehicle waiting to cross consumes fuel and productive hours. A parent delayed in traffic loses time that could be spent at work or with children. More reliable movement can improve daily life while strengthening the efficiency of the local economy.
For businesses, improved connectivity can widen access to customers, suppliers and labour. A small enterprise on the Wismar shore should be better positioned to serve customers across Linden. Farmers and traders can benefit from more dependable movement of produce. Restaurants, accommodation providers and other service businesses have an opportunity to reach a more connected market. These benefits will require enterprise and initiative, but the bridge provides a stronger foundation upon which both can flourish.
Its toll-free character is especially important. During my January 2025 budget presentation, I advocated the removal of bridge tolls before the completion of the new crossing. My conviction was that public infrastructure should make participation in economic and community life more affordable.
I therefore welcome the President’s decision to make this crossing accessible without that recurring financial burden.
For households making frequent journeys, transport costs accumulate. For small businesses operating on narrow margins, every additional charge matters. Removing bridge tolls leaves more resources available for household needs and productive activity. It also strengthens the practical connection between communities whose residents should be able to access opportunities across their own township with greater ease.
The toll-free policy deserves recognition as a decision that places public benefit at the centre of infrastructure investment. It reflects an understanding that the return on a bridge includes the economic activity it enables and the welfare it supports.
Linden’s strategic importance also extends beyond its municipal boundaries. Its position along the corridor linking the coast to the hinterland gives the township considerable potential as a centre for services, trade and investment. Improved movement across the river can help local businesses participate more effectively in that wider economy.
However, connectivity must be accompanied by deliberate local economic planning. We must ensure that Linden becomes a place where expanding commerce generates employment, supports enterprises and builds lasting prosperity for residents.
This is why the bridge’s opening should encourage renewed attention to properly planned commercial spaces, markets and industrial development. Amelia’s Ward, West Watooka, Wisroc and other expanding communities need suitable places where residents can sell produce, establish businesses and provide services. Manufacturing, processing, warehousing and logistics facilities could help the township capture greater value from the movement of goods through the region.
Infrastructure creates possibilities; coordinated policy helps communities realise them. Access to finance, skills development, reliable electricity and water, along with fair opportunities for local entrepreneurs, will be essential if the benefits of this investment are to reach widely across Linden.
Municipal sustainability must form part of that discussion. Where toll removal affects local revenue, constructive cooperation between central government and the municipality can identify dependable alternatives. Adequate subventions, improved revenue administration, properly serviced commercial developments and the fair inclusion of eligible properties within the municipal revenue system deserve consideration.
Residents must also see a credible relationship between municipal contributions and the quality of services they receive. Better sanitation, drainage, public spaces and business facilities will help Linden translate improved connectivity into a more attractive environment for living and investment.
The bridge therefore presents both an achievement to celebrate and a responsibility to fulfil. Its long-term value will depend partly on how well we maintain it, manage traffic around it and plan the development it can support. Responsible road use and the protection of public infrastructure must accompany our pride in its delivery.
There is also a civic lesson in this moment. Linden has a proud history, a strong voice and legitimate expectations. We should continue to advocate firmly for our needs while recognising meaningful progress. Honest public engagement allows room for scrutiny, constructive proposals and deserved commendation.
President Ali and his administration’s commitment and dedication have continuously delivered major improvement to our township and region that is undeniable. Acknowledging that achievement demonstrates respect for the interests of the people who will benefit from it. Development should give us common ground upon which to pursue further progress.
Sunday, we will celebrate a new connection between McKenzie and Wismar. We will also celebrate the possibilities it brings: easier journeys, stronger businesses, closer communities and a more competitive regional economy.
Mr. President, your administration has given Linden another substantial asset upon which to build. The task ahead is to ensure that its promise reaches the worker, the farmer, the student, the entrepreneur and the family seeking a better life.
For generations, we have been two shores, one town and one proud people. We now have four lanes through which to advance our shared ambitions.
Let this bridge carry Linden towards greater opportunity, greater heights, shared prosperity and a future worthy of its people.
Yours truly,
Jermaine Figueira
Former Member of Parliament
