THE City Works Committee has recently given its approval for funds to be released for a new bridge for Barr Street, Albouystown, which has been out of order for several months now.
But authorities are still unable to give a timeframe by which a new bridge would be constructed, as it now depends on the availability of funds, which City Hall has said it doesn’t have at the moment.
The bridge, which serves as a key alternative for traffic coming from as far as the East Bank of Demerara, is in need of immediate attention ever since it was closed to vehicular traffic in May.

In an invited comment yesterday, Constituency Councillor Malcolm Ferreira told this newspaper that he is still hoping for central government to step in and provide assistance for the bridge to be completed.
He had described the bridge as a “key artery” out of his constituency into the city.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke, had said that this bridge is so important to the city that it has to get priority. “I would like to assure the Council that once it comes to the Finance Committee, it will get priority treatment. I see no reason why that bridge should not be done on or before the last quarter of this year,” he had stated.

UNDER PRESSURE
Meanwhile, Proportional Constituency Councillor, Heston Bostwick had raised the issue of Albouys Street having to now face the pressure. Although the bridge at Hunter and Sussex Streets is also sinking, Bostwick asked that priority be given to the Barr Street bridge, while the others can be looked at later.
He had expressed concern that vehicles will soon be unable to use any of the Albouystown links, as the other bridges surrounding the one at Barr Street are now feeling the pressure.
The councillor has observed that the bridges at Hill Street and Albouys Street are becoming affected, as they now have to deal with more traffic than usual.

Barr Street serves as a key alternative to the La Penitence Public Road for vehicles coming from the East Bank of Demerara and heading to central Georgetown. The closure of this bridge contributes to a severe build-up of traffic in contiguous areas, and many of the streets in Albouystown are too narrow to accommodate two-way traffic.
Albouystown has long been regarded as a ‘high-crime’ area, causing motorists to be hesitant about using the streets surrounding Barr Street.
“Soon we may not be able to pass through Albouystown,” Councillor Bostwick told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday.