Public meeting over closure of Harbour Bridge for this afternoon

Jul 12, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Citizens, business owners and operators, and persons who frequent the Demerara Harbour Bridge are invited to a meeting with Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works, and other key stakeholders at the Umana Yana, to discuss the logistical arrangement for span 9 replacement closure and any other related issues.

The meeting will be held today at 5 pm. The three-day closure of the bridge starts from 11:59 pm Monday 24th July 2023 to 11:59 pm Thursday 27th July 2023. Late last month, the Ministry of Works had announced the planned closure of the bridge.

Edghill had said then that he was advised by his technical staff at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation that the dates were chosen based on tide between July 24 and 29. Additionally, the ministry said that the logistics for the span nine replacement was also meticulously planned during the closure of the school term, to ensure a smooth transition, and as little inconvenience to the public as possible.

Persons travelling out of the country at the time of the closure, those with doctors’ appointments and other important engagements are being urged to note these changes, the ministry said.

Minister Edghill related also the government understands the significance of this replacement and is committed to seeing this project through, as this new retractor which spans 170 feet long and 40 feet wide and is valued at $1.2 billion, will result in a much smoother operation (retractability) in the future, which will also enable wider vessels to pass through the channel.

The minister is appealing to commuters and businesses for their understanding and support during these three days of closure of the bridge, as the replacement of span nine cannot be done while traffic is flowing. Last September, the bridge’s span nine was damaged when the Panamanian flagged vessel, MV Tradewinds Passion, crashed into the bridge during a retraction period and rendered the bridge inoperable for several days.

Since then, that damaged section of the bridge had to be repaired several times, while plans were being made to replace the unit altogether. Repairs to span nine were undertaken by a local company, Industrial Fabrications Inc. (InFab), which was completed in late 2022.

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arrangement, crashed, logistical, MV Tradewinds Passion, Vessel

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