AN average of 9,756 vehicular movements was recorded on the Demerara Habour Bridge daily in 2016.The bridge, which provides a critical link between Regions Three and Four, saw a total of 3,599,969 vehicular movements recorded last year, some 430,555 more than 2015.
Brian Singh, Traffic Manager at the bridge, told members of the media at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s year-in-review press conference on Wednesday at the Transport Sports Club, that there are several initiatives which the management of the bridge undertook last year.
These include the fabrication of buoys, the installation of a pontoon at span 8.4 and 9.2, the installation of decking plates along the bridge and the installation of cluster piles along the bridge’s high span.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge management also undertakes asphalt works on site and in various areas across the country.
Singh said 42,471 tonnes of asphalt was produced in 2016 and the entity played a key role in providing asphalt for works which were undertaken on the Essequibo River island of Leguan last year.
Asphalted roads were laid on the island for the first time in 2016.
Singh said in 2017, several initiatives will be undertaken to maintain the bridge and these include the rehabilitation of three large pontoons, replacement of control cabins as well as the rehabilitation of hydraulic cabins.
A total of $120M has been budgeted for those and other works, Singh said.