– massive repairs completed, operation back to normal

WITH the exception of two missing clusters, everything is back to normal at the Demerara Harbour Bridge following six hours of intense engineering works on the structure by bridge employees late Wednesday night into yesterday morning.

The works were done under the watchful eyes of Transport and Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn, General Manager of Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams and consultant engineer with the Ministry of Public Works, Walter Willis.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle moments before the works began, Adams said that they were working to ensure that they meet the deadline they had set so that traffic, both ocean and vehicular, could transit the bridge as normal.

Asked about the initial cost of rectifying the damage caused by an oil tanker which had slammed into the facility after the pilot reportedly failed to heed the directions of the bridge traffic controller, Adams put the preliminary cost at just over $20 million.
He also pointed out that the figure has the potential to go higher since there were other aspects of the investigation which has not yet been completed. He noted that the company is aware of the figure being looked at since the company representatives were part of the initial investigation.
However, Adams told the Chronicle that the entities involved have failed to come to a common ground with the initial price tag for the damage.
When this publication visited the bridge Wednesday night, all materials, machinery and workers were in waiting until the bridge was closed. However, it did not close at

22:00 hrs as the management had initially reported but a grace period of half hour was given for commuters to cross the bridge.
The works entailed the removal and replacement of one of the transoms, the changing of four connecting posts and the testing of the retractor span. The bridge had been unable to open since Sunday’s accident but once all the repair works

go according to plan, the first retraction since Sunday will be today at 11 am.
On Wednesday all hands were on board and workers were visibly working hard and fast to ensure they met the deadline set to have the works completed. While the works were dominated by men there was also one woman on the same level of the men and she was competing for equal space in getting the job done.

(By Leroy Smith)