Outrage over ECD traffic jam

Apr 02, 2025 News

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—-hundreds stranded on road for hours

…as govt rushes to fix collapsing bridge

By Francwa Fortune and Shania Williams

Kaieteur News- Residents of the Upper East Coast Demerara are at their wits end following three days of traffic jams, after government closed a section of the Railway Embankment to build a new bridge at Strathspey following the collapse of the previous one, which had been in a state of disrepair since last year.

The ensuing chaos caused hundreds of residents, including school children who depend on public transportation, to be left stranded on the roadways for hours. Many were forced to return home. The troubles for residents started on March 27, 2025, when the Strathspey Bridge along the Railway Embankment began sinking further, which forced the authorities to allow only light vehicular traffic. However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the entire bridge collapsed, halting all traffic along the Coldingen and Strathspey carriageway. An advisory was sent out from the Ministry of Public Works, stating that the bridge will be closed for approximately 70-90 days to facilitate reconstruction of the new Strathspey concrete bridge. As a result of this major inconvenience, all vehicles are now forced to divert onto the main access road.

Tuesday’s traffic jam started from as far as Hope, to the east, and stretched to Annadale, Lusignan to the west, on both carriageways on the East Coast Demerara Public Road. It was the same situation Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works, in a statement, revealed plans to implement emergency measures to ease the congestion. “To mitigate the disruption, the contractor, H. Nauth & Sons, has been engaged to install precast concrete slabs that will serve as a temporary bridge deck. These emergency works are being expedited, and the bridge is expected to be reopened for use within the next 48 hours,” the Ministry said.

Additionally, the Ministry said it will begin immediate repairs to the Bladen Hall School Road and the Coldingen Road to improve traffic flow and minimise disruptions during this period. “The Ministry urges all motorists and commuters to remain patient and exercise caution when using the alternative routes. Further updates will be provided as the emergency works progress,” the Ministry stated.

Disgust and frustration

On Tuesday, this publication spoke to commuters and drivers who strongly expressed their disgust and frustration over the traffic jam and described how it will affect their day-to-day schedules. They all shared a common concern about the government’s failure to maintain crucial infrastructure before it deteriorated to this extent. The inconvenience is forcing students, workers, and other commuters to leave earlier to reach their destinations on time. Kaieteur News caught up with a businessman in the traffic jam at Enmore who expressed his frustration over the situation. “These guys are visionless, and they are very selfish. All that this government is trying here now with is to fulfill manifesto promises.” The businessman questioned whether the government is really concerned and cares about citizens, as they often claim. “If you really care about people, you wouldn’t wake up one morning and decide that, look, I’m gonna close off a main bridge like that and affect thousands of people. Yes, the bridge collapsed, or is collapsing, you have two options. You can either create a bypass bridge, at least, to facilitate light traffic so lots of the cars and so on, could go there, or try and, you know, repair the bridge, fix it up in such a way that people can use it and it wouldn’t, inconvenience people for 70 days…”

The businessman added that such inconvenience will also affect school children travelling. “You know, you can’t do these things at this juncture. You know people are going to work and children going to school, you have tons of trucks traversing the road every day. You know it’s madness. You know it’s really, really, really madness going on in this place.” The businessman said, in addition to the traffic buildup, “You got some men driving crazy on the road- vehicles breaking down in the middle of the road is all kinds of foolishness.” Saying that he has become fed up with life in Guyana, the businessman stated: “You know, it’s very difficult to live in this country now, not just because of the cost of living and the politics, it’s just the sheer stupidity of the administration and everything in this place. I have never seen such chaos yet and you’re telling me for 70 days people gotta go through this,” the businessman said before sucking his teeth.

Three hours in line

A resident from Ann’s Grove said that he was in the buildup from his village to Coldingen for over three hours, making him late for an important meeting at his job. He added that he would normally use the Railway Embankment and would arrive at work within an hour. “I left home from since 7 o’clock. Three hours now I waiting here in dis line. I feel some notification should be given to the public in terms of these breakage of the bridges.”

A father, who is also a businessman, told this publication that the traffic congestion is significantly impacting his business, leading to reduced staff productivity.  “This traffic congestion is affecting me a lot, a whole lot, in terms of getting workers to work on time.” He added that his family’s life will see a drastic change in their morning routine since they have to start preparing earlier than usual. “My daughter will have to leave extra early now, normally she would leave at 6:30hrs, but the bus driver say he will have to leave earlier. So, she will have to prepare and leave around 5:00 hrs. Because of this, we had to change our whole morning routine,” the father said.

A Paradise Village resident who travelled to Buxton for work, spent four hours in traffic. She told Kaieteur News that she was aware that the bridge was broken and thought that by leaving an hour earlier, she would be able to evade the traffic jam. However, she did not arrive at work on time. “I think that the public and private employees should be given a concession during the reconstruction of the bridges. It is unfair that you have meet to work for 8 o’ clock and you are receiving letters for reaching to work late as a result of the congestion,” the woman said.

(Outrage over ECD traffic jam)

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