THE purpose of even building a new structure would be defeated if the present Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) remains at its present location.

That view was expressed by the DHB General Manager, Mr. Rawlston Adams at a press conference on Monday, which dealt with the damage to the bridge on Sunday when a fuel tanker slammed into it.
That accident forced a decision to close the crossing to vehicular traffic, from 21:30 hrs tonight, to effect repairs.
Adams, explaining the necessity for the removal of the existing overpass, said the replacement will allow for ocean going vessels and motor vehicles to cross the river simultaneously.
The DHB does not provide that opportunity but frustrates the travelling public whenever it has to retract to accommodate ships.
In addition, the retraction slows economic activities and causes traffic build-up on both sides of the river, he said, noting that the new structure will be a high-rise one that would eliminate the necessity for it to retract and allow the uninterrupted flow of both vehicular and river traffic.
However, should what exists remain, then it means that the flow of traffic would still have to be interrupted.
Great potential
About the many suggestions of what could be done with the existing bridge, including for it to be made a most attractive and lucrative tourist destination on the outskirts of the city itself, Adams said there has been no definitive decision but its components have great potential to serve other developmental works in the country.
He alluded to the bridging of hundreds of crossings along the Lethem Road which can be done with the plates from the DHB and made reference to the fact there are several bridges along the railway embankments that use the same parts.
Adams said, though, that the DHB can remain in place for another 20 years and still be able to accommodate the type of traffic it presently does, with no risk of it falling apart.
He said, when engineers speak of the life of a construction, it has nothing to do with how long it can stand up or how soon it will crumble.
He said engineers refer to the life of something when they speak of its ability to serve its purpose effectively without causing discomfort and posing challenges to those it serves.
In the context of the DHB, it has outlived its usefulness since it is unable to effectively accommodate the free flow of traffic to either sides of the river, Adams stated.
He said the overpass has only two lanes which are clearly inadequate for the number of vehicles which hope to transit it each day, hence its inability to adequately serve the populace.
Adams maintained that the DHB could last for as long as it is needed, once the money is pumped into it to deal with maintenance and other works.
“In terms of structural integrity, it can last as long as you want, once the money is put into it. But, as engineers, we do not speak of that life, we speak of the life in terms of its efficiency and the ability of it to move traffic in an efficient manner and, if the bridge stops doing that then its’ usefulness, in terms of moving traffic is no longer there and you have to look for a new structure because the bridge is not serving its purpose,” Adams posited.
Presently, there has been no final decision on location of the next bridge, although other sections of the media have reported that ten investors have already expressed interest in the investment.