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Toll stations for main hinterland roads
– Heavy-duty trucks main destroyer of roads
The Ministry of Public Works is planning to setup toll stations at the main arterial hinterland roads to finance the maintenance of the roads. Heavy-duty machineries transporting cargo, including logs and fuel, are the main contributors to the destruction of interior roads.
This is according to Naeem Mohamed, Hinterland Engineer of the Public
A timber bridge along the Linden to Lethem Road (photo by vimeo.com)
Works Ministry during a recent interview.
Mohamed said that the Ministry is still working on the proposal since such a timeframe has not been set for the materialization of this project. However, installation of the toll stations is imminent. Large craters on the roads and weakened bridges are caused by large trucks that are oftentimes overloaded.
He said that the toll stations may be installed along the Ituni to Kwakwani Road, Brian Sucre Junction to Mahdia Road, and Linden to Lethem road. “Based on the amount of money spent yearly and the flow of traffic the toll will be devised,” Mohamed said.
According to Mohamed, there are 52 bridges along the Linden to Lethem road, which is the longest road in Guyana linking the coastland to the southernmost region of the country. It accommodates traffic intended for logging and mining districts and Amerindian communities.
He said that of the 52 bridges, four are composite structures comprising steel bottoms and timber decking; 10 are log structures, and the remainder are timber structures.
Fifty structures were completely rehabilitated and the Ministry will be rehabilitating the other two shortly.
Mohamed said that yearly between $30M and $35M is budgeted for the maintenance of the structures. Having timber structures, which require the changing of decking and beams from time to time, is more economical than having concrete bridges, he added.
Mohamed explained that to construct a 100-foot concrete bridge would cost over $35M and the Ministry would still have to execute regular maintenance works owing to the overweight trucks traversing the area.
He noted that in good weather the timber bridges could accommodate 30 tons maximum and only specific trucks could carry this weight. He said that the preferred trucks to traverse the bridges are the triple axel trucks that have double wheels.
The Model M trucks which carry 20 tons are more detrimental to the bridges because the weight is not distributed equally.
According to Mohamed, the Ministry has to monitor the weight of these trucks that pressure the structure at critical areas.
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