The Takutu River Bridge, which links the town of Lethem in Guyana with the municipality of Bonfim in Brazil was opened to traffic. Construction of the bridge was a project within the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA); this initiative had been launched in 2000 to promote and facilitate closer ties among the countries of South America.

More than six weeks after vehicles were first allowed to cross the Takutu Bridge, the new structure was officially inaugurated in a ceremony held in Bonfim. Both Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo attended the event, and they highlighted the economic benefits that the bridge made possible for each country. “This is a dream come true after more than a generation of anticipation,” proclaimed Jagdeo during his remarks.

The Takutu River Bridge is one of just a few junctions in the…