WITH the growing volume of traffic on the Demerara Harbour Bridge, government is to pursue the drafting of plans to bridge the river at another point, according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson.“I know currently the government has reviewed the feasibility study that was done under the previous administration, but I can assure you that this administration will be pursuing avenues to ensure that a new bridge is constructed,” Minister Ferguson said, adding:
“With regard to what we are doing with the current bridge, is that in the meantime, while we are pursuing the construction of the new bridge, we will be ensuring that full maintenance is done on the current bridge to ensure passengers get to and fro on a daily basis.”
The Demerara Harbour Bridge had moved to introduce night retractions to help reduce the daily congestion that occurs when it is closed to vehicular traffic.
But the biggest problem continues to be the increasing volume of traffic, with a record 11,000 vehicles crossing one way, particularly during the Christmas season rush. This is significant, as one-way traffic on a regular day has been averaging around 8,900 vehicles. While the bridge’s management had been looking at the 10,000 mark, traffic volumes on the aging structure continue to exceed projections.
General Manager Rawlston Adams had noted that the facility, which provides a critical link between the East Bank Demerara and the West Coast corridor, saw a 15 per cent increase in income last year at $533M, despite the slight dip in toll, at $20M, from marine traffic.
Revenue from vehicular toll, on the other hand, accounted for the year’s biggest earnings at $462M, an increase of some $50M on 2013’s performance. It, however, spent close to $675M on repairs and maintenance, among other expenditures

NIGHT OPENINGS
To help prepare the facility for night openings, new navigation lights and cluster piles, which are placed strategically to protect the bridge against collision, were installed last year. Several sections of the bridge were also strengthened as part of the work programme for the structure. These included buoys, pivots, beams and A-frames.
Last year, management installed technology that now allows the police to monitor traffic at the bridge in real time.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a 6,074-foot (1,851 m) long floating toll bridge, which was commissioned on July 2, 1978.
It spans the Demerara River from Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara, to Schoonord, West Bank Demerara. There is a pedestrian footwalk, a raised section that allows small vessels to pass under, and a retractor span that lets large vessels pass.
By Rabindra Rooplall