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Errant truckers primarily responsible for damage to Harbour Bridge -Benn
Maintenance works being carried out on the badly deteriorated Demerara Harbour Bridge yesterday
Errant truckers traversing the now 30-year-old Demerara Harbour Bridge are primarily responsible for the significant damage to the floating marvel.
This is according to Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, who, during an update with media operatives yesterday, said that a significant amount of the damage was done by trucks that are most of the time above the stipulated weight and travelling faster than the prescribed speed limit.
He added that, over the years, the population on the western half of the Demerara River has skyrocketed, giving rise to increased traffic on the bridge, with trucks carrying building supplies and a lot more farm produce and scrap metals, among other things.
Benn said that, as a result of the errant truckers, there will be increased monitoring. He pointed to the introduction of a new scale on the western half of the bridge.
There will also be increased security on the bridge, along with traffic ranks.
President Bharrat Jagdeo recently expressed shock at the state of the Bridge when he stopped to make an impromptu inspection of the structure on his way from the airport recently.
Speaking with the National Communications Network (NCN) on Saturday at his Office, the President expressed anger that the bridge was allowed to deteriorate to such a deplorable level.
According to him, he checked on the bridge after receiving information about the state of the structure linking the western and eastern banks of the Demerara River.
“They told me that they were buying local decking and it only lasted six months, so we spent a large sum of money on this local decking, and it’s all in a sad shape,” he related.
President Jagdeo, however, said that he was told that the bridge has other structural issues, with some of the anchor chains rotting.
“So I am very concerned about the management of the Harbour Bridge, because to allow things to get to that state, it’s unbelievable, almost criminal!” he exclaimed.
The Head of State said he has requested an assessment of what is needed to fix the Bridge’s decking, so that everything can be in place by today.
“It’s unacceptable that we allow things to happen that way. I looked at the decking…it’s really gone and…they told me that we couldn’t get these plates internationally. You can get anything internationally. If it took them six months to buy these plates locally and install them, then in six months, we can find and import any decking of sufficient speck and quality,” he contended.
It is also expected today that, when Cabinet meets, the President will approve the release of a significant sum of money to have the emergency repairs to the Bridge effected.
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