Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
$4Million approach roads for truck scale at DHB
The Truck Scale on the western end of DHB awaiting its approach road
Work on the approach road to what was a seemingly abandoned truck scale on the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge will be commencing within a matter of two weeks.
This is according to Chief Transport and Planning Officer at the Ministry of Hydraulics and Public Works, Robin Chandarpaul, who said that the snag that caused the apparent delay in the weight control project was the sourcing of funds.
The overall project includes four fixed scales including one at Demerara Harbour Bridge, one at the Berbice River Bridge, one at the Wismar Linden Bridge and another at Lethem.
There are also to be 12 portable scales, taking the project cost to US$900,000.
According to Chandarpaul, the reason for the delay in the establishment of the scale at the DHB was its positioning, given that there was never the intention to use approach roads.
He stated that the bids for the project came in fairly high, hence, the Ministry with its tight budgets and had to cut cost in some areas to secure the funds for the construction of the roads.
He said that one area where they managed to source funds is that they did not have to use generators to power the scales at the Harbour Bridge and at Berbice, given that the power source there was adequate.
According to Chandarpaul, it was only last week that the funding was secured. By mid next week the materials should be procured and works on the roads should commence within two weeks.
The weight control programme is aimed at protecting and regulating the weight that the bridges will be subjected to on a daily basis.
Prior to the release of some emergency funding by the Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo, given the then disastrous state of affairs at the bridge, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, blamed the errant truckers for the damage to the DHB.
According to Benn, during the latter half of last year 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.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had 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, following an overseas outing late last year.
Speaking with the National Communications Network (NCN) 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.
“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.
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