Demerara Harbour Bridge urgently needs critical repairs- Indar

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 February 2021, 14:45 by Denis Chabrol

Junior Public Works Minister Deodat on Thursday painted a bleak picture of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, saying that it could cease working if there is no weight restriction until a new span is purchased at a cost of GYD$1 billion.

“Span night might collapse soon, the spans that open- span nine and span ten-span nine is troublesome,” he told the National Assembly during the 2021 National Budget debate.

Mr. Indar later told News-Talk Radio Guyana/ Demerara Waves Online News that span nine has degraded. He said replacement could take just under one year.  He explained that that span has “structural degradation.”

The Junior Public Works Minister said the cost of replacing the span was about GYD$1 billion, with some of the funds expected to be drawn down from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation.

Government has allocated GYD$890 million in this year’s budget for  the bridge which is the major artery between East and West Demerara. He sought to link the need for critical repairs of that bridge with hefty sums having been spent on gifts for the then General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Rolston Adams and then Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson. “That organisation should not be spending money to give gifts to anyone,” said Mr. Indar.