A BRIDGE across the Moco Moco Creek, linking Moco Moco to St. Ignatius, Central Rupununi, yesterday collapsed under the weight of a heavy duty truck, transporting an excavator to Waradapau, South Rupununi.

The incident happened between 09:30 to 10:00 hrs, an informed source said, as the equipment was being taken to Waradapau for use in effecting repairs to another  bridge which was damaged sometime ago under the weight of heavy equipment crossing it.
Region 9 Regional Executive Officer, Mrs. Claire Singh yesterday afternoon confirmed that the collapse of the Moca Moca Bridge was due to a hauler truck towing an excavator owned by V. Dalip Enterprise, a construction firm executing road and bridge repairs in the region.
Guyana Chronicle, speaking with Mrs. Dalip via telephone, was told that this vehicle was on its way from South Rupununi to Lethem after the company had just completed the construction of the Rupununi Bridge which had collapsed a few years ago.
She explained that at the time of the incident the driver Anthony (only name) was the only person on the vehicle.
At the time of this interview she noted that she was still to ascertain the details from the driver since her efforts had failed and she was thinking that he might have been out of the mobile communication signal area.

12 tonne Limit
Meanwhile, it was recalled that the Ministry of Local Government has warned ad nauseam, and continues to implore road users, that vehicles and equipment crossing the bridges intended for heavy vehicles in the region, should not exceed 12 tonnes. In the event that the laden weight is found to be in excess of 12 tonnes, officials say, the operators should disembark, remove the excess weight and find an alternative way of getting it across. Once they are over the bridge, they could then proceed.
But the irony of the story on Wednesday night was that the vehicle owned by Dalip Enterprise was transporting an excavator to Waradapau to repair a bridge which was destroyed, simply because the persons concerned had breached the tonnage rules and attempted crossing with weight in excess of 12 tonnes.
As a result of yesterday’s wreckage, there are at least two collapsed bridges in the Rupununi, creating undue hardships for traffic using the route. As a result, heavy duty vehicular traffic passing through the main Rupununi thoroughfare is expected to be severely disrupted over the next several days, and possibly weeks.
However, an informed source said that despite the administration’s warnings, trucks have continued to violate the rules, resulting in bridges in those parts collapsing on several occasions.  When this happens, the Regional Administration has had to contract private firms to undertake the repairs.
Officials from the regional administration at Lethem on learning of the incident visited the scene where they viewed the wreckage, did an initial assessment and prepared a report for submission to the Ministry of Local Government in Georgetown.
Taking Responsibility
Officials were adamant that the construction company which owns the equipment would have to take liability and rebuild the bridge, since they flagrantly violated instructions.
But even though the bridge across the Moco Moco Creek has now been destroyed, lightweight vehicles such as motor cars, motor cycles, pedal cycles and pedestrians would not be affected, a reliable source has said.  Such traffic could utilize a different bridge on a crossing which is much shorter.  As a safeguard, a bar has been erected above the road to ensure trucks do not pass that way. “There’s no way a truck could travel that route, because a bar has been built there, and so they must play by the rules,” an irate official said.
Over the last few years, other incidents of destruction to bridges, resulting from overladen vehicles crossing, include:  The Conar Bridge in deep South Rupununi; Waradapau Bridge; the first entrance to the Moco Moco Bridge (about 14 miles from Lethem) – broken last year and now Moco Moco Bridge.
The bridge destroyed last year is now being repaired by residents, with financial assistance from the regional administration. That job is due to be completed this week, a source said.
Meanwhile, residents of Lethem confirmed that yesterday’s incident marked the second misfortune experienced at Moco Moco over the last week.  Earlier, between May 9 and 10, heavy rainfall in Central Rupununi resulted in a section of the main bank of the Moco Moco River and two smaller dams being swept away.