Harbor Bridge to close for 7 hours Saturday

Oct 25, 2017 News

The push for a new bridge across the Demerara River has been bolstered with news that critical works have to be completed in the next few days on the current one, forcing closure to river traffic starting tomorrow afternoon. The bridge will be closed to river traffic from Thursday to next Tuesday.
The bridge will also be closed for a planned seven hours Saturday to vehicular traffic to replace a pontoon under the retractor area. The disclosures were made yesterday by the bridge’s management.

Delicate work being done earlier this year to replace the first pontoon at the retractor span at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

According to General Manager, Rawlston Adams, the project to replace the pontoon is part of a two-phase one. The first pontoon for the all-important retractor span was replaced in June and is part of a project that cost some $103M. This is the second pontoon for the western section of the span.
At the press conference also yesterday were the bridge’s engineers- Diane Lopes, Christopher Grannum and Andre Crowder.
Adams disclosed that starting today, workers will be removing the walkway, stairs and platform on the western side of the retractor span area.
In all, 50 of the bridge staffers will be working to make the exercise happen.
Tomorrow, the bridge will have its final marine transit opening until Tuesday. After that opening, workers will be scrambling to remove winches, pipes and other attachments. The work will continue on Friday to remove other hydraulic attachments.
However, the big work of switching the new pontoon with the old will be happening on Saturday- for seven hours starting 08:30hrs.
According to the GM, the experience from the first pontoon switching will be used to reduce the work. On Sunday, work will be done to reconnect the electrical and other fittings.
However, marine transit will not resume until Tuesday.
Next month, on the western side of the bridge, another pontoon will be replaced. Workers of the bridge are planning to use the spring tide when waters are high to help the situation.
In July 2012, there were problems and a part of the bridge sank when a pontoon collapsed during works to replace it. It was a learning experience for the management of the bridge.
The bridge has been challenged over time to conduct critical works without closing the structure altogether.
The bridge is a vital link between the city and West Demerara/Essequibo Islands and Essequibo Coast, Region Two.
Government is planning to build another bridge between Houston, East Bank Demerara and Versailles, on the West Bank.
However, in the meantime, Guyana has to make do with the structure which has stood up but is now being severely tested by the sheer number of crossings daily…almost 10,000 vehicles are recorded daily.
Two weeks ago, the bridge closed for six hours for the replacement of another pontoon.
However, the retractor span where the works this week will happen is highly technical with little room for error.
Adams warned that work to replace the pontoons at the retractor span is by no means child’s play. It requires intense planning and coordination.
Next year, in the first quarter, the bridge will likely be forced to make some harder decisions, like the changing of a number of panels. Without planning, the bridge could close for three weeks.
However, a team is busy working out how to whittle this down to a number of days- two or three at the most.
According to Adams, this is a major challenge that no one has ever attempted.
With regards to the bridge and the acquiring of spares, the GM admitted that it is major challenge of finding original parts.
Fortunately, things like bolts from the old structures on the East Coast railway embankment are being reused.
He disclosed that the increase in tolls, last year, has seen a 50 percent rise in revenues. This is helping to reduce the dependency on Government for subsidies.
Adams insisted that there is little alternative to keeping the bridge safe and operational because of the devastating impact it can have on livelihoods of Guyanese if anything happens.
He also noted that it is not a job where there are a lot of thanks despite the monotony of maintenance.

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