-contractor awaiting materials
THE Region Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) administration recently awarded a contract for the construction of a new bridge at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, but the project remains stalled as the contractor is still awaiting materials. The update was provided yesterday by Regional Chairman Julius Faerber who spoke to the Chronicle via telephone.
Faerber said the contractor, Yogeshwar Bhola Construction Services, was supposed to have already started works on the bridge. The “embarrassing” situation is that he is still waiting on materials to begin, Faerber said.
According to residents, the planks from the bridge have been dismantled but nothing has been done further, exposing children to severe danger as there is no barrier to prevent them from going on to it.
In addition residents are upset that the bridge has been out of order for over nine months and are questioning the merit of the contractor dismantling the bridge even though he has not acquired the required materials.
The Uitvlugt Bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since last December last, due to its deplorable state and has reportedly caused severe inconvenience since it is the key bypass to the Ocean View Housing Scheme.
Meanwhile, the other access bridge, though in a deplorable state as well, is accommodating all of the traffic, including heavy-duty vehicles, much to the severe inconvenience of the public.
However, because it is made of wood and due to the volume of traffic, it would have to be repaired  with millions of taxpayers’ dollars annually.
Some concerned citizens said a logical solution would be to build a modern, concrete, heavy-duty replacement with a walkway to cater for children and other pedestrians.