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Truck damages temporary Pirara Bridge structure – Public Works Ministry
…another bypass built for traffic to flow
Kaieteur News – Late Wednesday night, a truck laden with goods, crashed through the temporary bridge which was built in place as works are being undertaken on the new Pirara Bridge in the Central Rupununi.
The incident occurred hours after this publication reported on the concerns of residents of the region who complained about the sloth in works being undertaken on the new concrete structure. The bridge runs across a tributary of the Ireng River. According to the Ministry of Public Works, around 22:30hrs on Wednesday, the agency was informed that an over-laden truck transporting goods “had caused cross-sectional damage to the temporary structure.”
A truck laden with goods crashed through the temporary Pirara Bridge structure in the Rupununi on Wednesday night.
The ministry said inspections conducted by its engineers have revealed that the temporary timber decking of the bridge was broken. “Interventions made by engineers of the Ministry of Public Works, along with the contractor undertaking the project, were successful.” In light of the incident, the ministry said a low-level crossing, which this publication understands was built on the dry riverbed, has been put in place to restore the flow of traffic, while materials for the repair of the bridge are being sought. While traffic is currently flowing unhindered, and the scheduled work will continue on the bridge, the Public Works Ministry said as it urged drivers to exercise caution when transiting the area.
Residents concerned
For weeks residents complained about the fragile state of the temporary bridge especially since it is utilised daily by heavy traffic including trucks laden with goods. “This is a disaster waiting to happen…some very heavy trucks are using this road and this bridge looks like it can barely hold a regular truck,” a resident said on social media recently.
“Some very heavy Brazilian trucks are using the road presently (double trailer). And the bypass is very rickety and looks barely usable,” another resident said. Opposition Member of Parliament, Vincent Henry noted on Tuesday that works have stopped on the new structure “for an extended period of time.”
He said in a Facebook post that the Pirara Bridge links the Coastland of Guyana and the North Rupununi to Lethem, South Rupununi and Brazil. Henry said too that soon the “rains will be here and this vital link, if completion is not expedited, will become a major problem for all involved.”
Henry called on the government to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
Essential link
The bridge provides an essential link for vehicles heading to and from the town of Lethem; it is considered the main access bridge to the border town.
On a number of occasions over the years the wooden structure collapsed under the weight of heavy trucks, resulting in millions in repairs being spent on the bridge.
In April 2021, the Pirara Bridge collapsed under a heavily loaded truck. Kaieteur News reported at the time that at least 50 feet of the 160-foot-long bridge was damaged.
As such, many vehicles were stranded for days, causing a temporary bypass to be built. The firm contracted to do emergency repairs on the bridge had to replace 16 piles on the bridge. The estimated cost to repair that bridge was at least $17 million.
The flow of traffic resumed on Thursday afternoon at the Pirara Bridge via another bypass, which was built over the river bed.
The bridge was impassable in November 2019 due to a fallen beam. A bypass road was created to allow for smooth flow of road traffic.
In January 2022, the Ministry of Public Works announced that it was upgrading a total of 32 hinterland bridges to international standards, stretching from Kurupukari to Lethem. The list included the Pirara Bridge. During the first quarter of 2023, works commenced on the new concrete structure, which replaced the wooden bridge.
However, residents of the region noted this week that since around October 2023, works had stopped on the structure. Only columns were built. Reports are that defects were noted with the works undertaken on the new structure last year and these are being addressed by the authorities.
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