Demerara Harbour Bridge working despite vessel incident- officials

Last Updated on Sunday, 7 April 2024, 23:00 by Denis Chabrol

The tug and barge bracing one of the Demerara Harbour Bridge pontoons

A tug and a barge on Sunday drifted and struck the Demerara Harbour Bridge, resulting in the deployment of emergency workers but officials said the movement of vehicles across the east-west thoroughfare would not be affected severely.

“Yes, there has been an incident. It has not put the Demerara Harbour Bridge out of service,” Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said. He said laden trucks were being allowed to cross the bridge at intervals to ensure that the “weight on the damaged section is minimal and doesn’t compromise anything further until we get to do a full inspection.”

He added that the bridge would be retracted at the scheduled time of 4 AM Monday.

He said at about 7:30 Sunday night a motor tug and barge that is being used at the construction site of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge drifted and came into contact with four buoys and two pontoons at spans 12 and 13 on the southern section of the current bridge. He described the impact as “minimal interference to the travelling public.”

Mr Edghill said an investigation would be launched into the incident on Monday. Efforts, he said, were being made to prevent further  damage to the Demerara Harbour Bridge by the tug and barge.  Divers were expected to check Sunday night whether anchors were affected by the incident.

The Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and officials of the Maritime Administration and the Demerara Harbour Bridge were among the response team at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.