Light traffic across Demerara Harbour Bridge likely from Monday night- GM

Last Updated on Sunday, 9 October 2022, 19:55 by Denis Chabrol

Light traffic is expected across the Demerara Harbour Bridge from late Monday night, the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Wayne Watson said on Sunday.

“We are battling to make it happen late Monday night into Tuesday morning,” he said. Light traffic is categorised as cars, minibuses, canter trucks, cycles and motorcycles. He restated that no laden or unladen trucks would be allowed.

He told Demerara Waves Online News that round-the-clock work was continuing to realign the bridge which was badly damaged by a Panama-registered oil tanker, MV Tradewind Passion, at about 2 O’clock Saturday morning as it was on its way to make a scheduled passage through the retracted span.

Mr Watson said he and his team from the public and private sector are “redoubling our efforts” to repair spans 7,8 and 9, now that 10 has been completed and the anchorage has to be aligned. “Once we complete those repairs and replacements, we have to pull over spans 8 and 9  to about three feet west because when the vessel hit the head of retractor 9, it pushed the structure three to four feet going east,” he said.

The General Manager of  the Demerara Harbour Bridge said a number of components, several of which have never been changed in the 44-year history of the bridge have been damaged and were now being replaced. He said a number of private sector companies are involved in the manufacture of new components to the required specifications such as coating. “We are not short-changing, as Minister (of Public Works Juan Edghill) said. We are going to the full length to ensure that safety and integrity of the structure is restored to the highest degree of acceptability,” Mr Watson said.

He said the severely damaged front section of span 9  has to be removed. He said a number of beams and end posts also have to be changed.

The cluster piles that were downed by the oil tanker have not been replaced and efforts would be made to erect a better protective system to avoid vessels knocking the bridge, he said. While that is being done, Mr Watson said markers would be placed there with solar lights.

Meanwhile, speedboat operators were continuing to do brisk 24 hour business between Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop. While the promised construction lights were not seen just outside the Georgetown stelling, police were deployed to the area under a tent amid fears of robberies especially after sunset.

President Irfaan Ali visited the bridge on Sunday afternoon to get an on-the-spot briefing about repairs and the time-frame within which light traffic would first be allowed that major east-west corridor.