– General Manager
GENERAL MANAGER of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams, yesterday described the year 2010 as a challenging but highly productive one, given that in excess of $395M in revenue was collected during the year. This, according to Adams, reflects an eight percent increase above 2009.
In addition, contracts for all capital works for the bridge in 2010, amounting to $664.1M, were signed and are ongoing.
Included in the capital works are the servicing of 29 pontoons, fabrication of 30 distribution beams and 155 deck plates, 23 transoms, 45 buoys and the replacement of two hydraulic ramps. These works are in various stages of completion and it is expected that some of them will roll over into 2011.
However, despite this increase in revenue collection, the General Manager said that the amount is inadequate for the maintenance of the bridge. And so, for 2011,  “We are asking for in excess of $900M to continue our rehabilitation works,” he said. He added that this amount will go towards the fabrication of distribution beams, buoys and the construction of two extra large pontoons to facilitate the rehabilitation of the retractor span.
The General Manager also hopes to have the concrete anchors replaced so as to enhance the bridge’s anchorage system.
“What we have done over the last two years is rehabilitate and change the chains, so we are hoping to further enhance our anchorage system by replacing the concrete anchor,” he said.
Included in the projections for the bridge in 2011 are the replacement of power cables to the retractor span, fabrication of end posts, supply of transoms and the rehabilitation of cluster piles for collision protection of the bridge’s high span and the retractor span.

Traffic
There was an 8.7 percent increase in traffic crossing the bridge in a westerly direction when compared to 2009. According to Adams, there has been an increase of in excess of 560 vehicles per day across the structure.
To deal with the increased traffic, a double lane exercise was put in place whereby traffic in the westerly direction is restricted to allow for two lanes of traffic from the western end.

Accidents
Adams explained that accidents on the bridge are mostly due to speeding and the fact that vehicles traversing the bridge are not properly maintained, thus causing many immobile vehicles to be on the bridge at various times, also contributing to accidents.

Security
With regard to security, a closed circuit television system has been installed from which all activities on the eastern side of the bridge can be monitored.
This, the General Manager said, will be extended to the western side of the bridge in the new year. The system is directly linked to the Brickdam Police Station where all the recorded information can be accessed by the police. (GINA)