Faulty Linden Bridge frustrates commuters

Nov 28, 2008 News

Residents of Linden and even those from far-flung interior locations, who are forced to use the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, are expressing grave concern and frustration over the stalled rehabilitation works on this major piece of infrastructure, which connects the eastern and western banks of Linden.

Work on the bridge has been halted for weeks now, and commuters, especially those with huge truckloads of cargo, who are forced to make several trips because of the 28-tonne weight limit, have been voicing their frustrations.

The bridge has become a major cause of concern, not only for Lindeners, but also for business persons from remote interior locations, most of whom are involved in the logging industry and are forced to use it daily, to get their lumber to Georgetown and other parts of the country.

Many say they find the current 28-tonne maximum weight for crossing the bridge tedious, time consuming and costly, as they have to unload, reload, weigh then cross, then repeat the process all over again until the task is complete.

But IMC Chairman, Orrin Gordon, recently warned that given the present state of the bridge, the 28-tonne limit should not be exceeded until such time that repairs are complete.

And responding to reports that the Bridge would soon have to be closed intermittently for one day periods, to facilitate further rehabilitation, Gordon declared, “That makes no sense, as there is very little that can be accomplished in one day, given the tremendous amount of work that has to be done on the bridge; it would make more sense if we could engage the services of a pontoon, and close the bridge for a week or so, in order to facilitate the necessary repairs.

Gordon said that he was also concerned that piers 1 and 8, which are in very terrible shape, have not yet been “touched”; and sandblasting of the entire lower section of the bridge to determine the extent of corrosion on the structure has also not been done.

“The entire bridge bottom has to be sandblasted in order to fully comprehend the scope of work to be undertaken, as weathering and dust emissions from the nearby bauxite plant have resulted in significant corrosion, which ultimately could lead to structural failure of the bridge,” Gordon had emphasized, in an interview recently.

According to Gordon, in addition to the $114 million already allocated for the rehabilitation works, it is estimated that approximately $130 million more is required to complete the present scope of work.

Gordon had earlier pointed out that initially, only the midsection of the bridge was earmarked for rehabilitation, but upon closer examination of the structure, as work progressed, it became evident that additional work would have to be done to other sections of the bridge.

In a letter to Minister Robeson Benn, who is responsible for Works and Hydraulics, Gordon had pointed out that the bridge is too important to be treated lightly, bearing in mind its importance in connectivity between the southernmost parts and coastland of Guyana, and the South American connection.

He had also pointed out that trading from this area accounts for more than 20 per cent of the nation’s GDP.
Minister Robeson Benn is yet to respond to that letter, according to Gordon.

Meanwhile, concerned commuters and residents of Linden, who are growing increasingly agitated, question daily when the rehabilitation of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge will be completed; and whether those in authority are waiting for a major catastrophe before they properly address the urgent rehabilitation of this important piece of infrastructure.
(Enid Joaquin)

Latest News

Faulty Linden Bridge frustrates commuters

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Renuka, Mandhana consign West Indies to record loss

GBA confirms additional bouts

Opinion: Barbados Cricket Faces Crossroads

KMTC Boxing Day Horse race meet turning out to be...

Candy Boss Invitational 8-A-Side Football...

Chase Academy squares off with St Benedict’s...

Features/Columnists

Chilling reminders that we are not safe

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

Fear of retribution

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Faulty Linden Bridge frustrates commuters

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]