EPA exempts New Demerara River Bridge from Environmental Impact studies

Aug 21, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – A new bridge across the Demerara River has been exempted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from having to do an Environmental Impact Assessment.

The proposed project location and access roads

The decision was taken despite the potential impacts to be had from the construction of the replacement bridge—according to the project summary—includes deforestation as a result of land clearing for the new project in addition to significant erosion.
Additionally, it was noted that potential exists for sedimentation and discolouration of the nearby water sources due to surface runoff, erosion and pile driving activities; and contamination of surrounding water bodies from fuel/oil/lubricants spills.
The decision was taken since the EPA, has through its screening process for the project, determined it being categorised as having no significant impacts and minor issues can be addressed through appropriate and practical environmental safeguards informed by an Environmental and Social Assessment and Management Plan.
That decision has since been made public by the EPA and provides for a 30 window period for persons wishing to lodge formal complaints against the EPA’s decision or for any person who may be affected by the proposed project.
According to the EPA, it is satisfied that if a decision is taken to approve this project, robust measures can be prescribed to ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Act.
To this end, it was pointed out that the Agency requires that an Environmental and Social Assessment and Management Plan (ESAMP) be prepared for the project to address specific issues identified in the screening process, and detail specific and practical mitigation measures to ensure that the proposed project can be undertaken in an environmentally-sound and sustainable manner.
According to the project summary prepared and submitted to the EPA by the Works Services Unit of the Public Works Ministry, the existing structure has surpassed its technical life.
As such, the proposed replacement structure by the Ministry advances a fixed four-lane bridge with a vertical clearance over the channel of approximately 50 metres above the maximum tide level.
“The proposed design allows for the bridge to be connected to the main road network through road approaches connecting it to the West Bank Public Road and the imminent Mandela to Eccles road, respectively.”
According to the Project Summary, the replacement bridge will span the Demerara River from Nandy Park to La Grange, upstream and in close proximity to the existing harbour bridge.
“This location shall allow an easy connection to the existing access roads on the West Bank of Demerara and new access roads will be constructed on the East Bank of Demerara.”
The Ministry in its project outline said replacing the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge is necessary to provide the country with a sustainable solution for future river crossing as the existing crossing by a floating bridge in Peter’s Hall is causing traffic congestion by a long opening time, low capacity, large maintenance costs and is a risk regarding continuity of the river crossing due to its age and vulnerability. As such, “the proposed high span bridge replacement is intended to fix this problem and will be more appropriate to facilitate traffic going to or from Georgetown.”
The existing Demerara Harbour Bridge was constructed by the UK firm Mabey and Johnson and commissioned on July 02, 1978.
Apart from providing direct access to Administrative Region No. 3, it also provides indirect access from Georgetown to the Essequibo county (Regions Nos. 1, 2, 7, 8) – areas where activities such as minerals exploration, logging, ecotourism and rice cultivation account for the major part of Guyana’s GDP.
The pontoon bridge is maintained through tolls. Tolls at the Demerara Harbour Bridge are collected manually in one direction at the Toll Plaza located at the eastern abutment of the bridge in cash payments only.
Tolls are charged based on the vehicle type and weight. The current two-lane steel floating bridge connects the East Bank at Peter’s Hall with the West Bank at Meer Zorgen.
According to the project summary, between 40,000 and 45,000 people use the bridge each day.
“The current bridge requires fundamental overhaul, replacement, maintenance and repair. Road capacity is limited due to the retraction system.”
It was noted that opening times are long due to the slow retraction process and that the structure is vulnerable for incidents from vehicles and vessels as well as river forces.
According to the project summary, “as the bridge is the only connection, the West Bank economy and population will suffer significantly in case the bridge cannot be used over longer time.”