THE Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) is expected to meet with operators of vessels that use barges, in light of the accident which occurred on Saturday evening.
According to reports on Saturday, a tug and barge laden with stone crashed into the bridge after it was detached from the towline. Pontoons and four anchors were severely damaged after being hit by the barge.

The reports further indicated that four transoms were dislodged and a beam on a temporary pontoon was damaged.

General Manager of the DHBC, Rawlston Adams, said they will be meeting with operators to remind them about the importance of complying with the corporation’s regulations in order to ensure a safe transit through the river.

“Each barge transiting should have two tugs in order to avoid the line from getting cut,” said Adams during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday.
A barge is defined as a long, flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers, either under its own power or towed by another.

Despite the magnitude of the damage caused by the barge, workers of the corporation were able to quickly repair parts of the bridge, so that cars and small vehicles could cross on the same night, but larger vehicles had to wait.
Although the bridge has not been repaired fully, it was reopened to motor-lorries, trucks and laden canters.

“We completed some more repairs around 11:30am today [Sunday], but we have another three anchors to repair tomorrow [today],” he explained, adding that the damaged pontoons were repaired on Saturday night.