– Harmon joins chorus to keep old harbour bridge

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon has numbered himself among those in favour of utilising the services of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, even after the government will have completed construction of a modern bridge linking the east and west regions.
Speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Demerara Harbour Bridge on Sunday, Harmon said: “Two bridges are better than one. I see no sensible reason to decommission one when we have another one. So from over there, where I’m responsible for politically, I would want to say that I would lend my voice to that chorus which says that we should keep both bridges.”

Harmon, in his address at the Umana Yana, said that the new bridge is necessary to meet the needs of Guyana’s rapid developments and to manage the traffic increase across the river.

At the anniversary ceremony of the bridge which was commissioned on July 2, 1978, Harmon described the undertaking as an “indigenous piece of Guyanese infrastructure.”
He reminded his audience that it was under the leadership of former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham that the bridge was built and that it was just one on a list of developmental initiatives intended to transform the country at the time.
“President Burnham spearheaded the construction of the bridge which ushered in instantaneous, positive economic and social changes in Regions Two, Three, Four and Seven,” he said.

The minister of state added: “There were some people who felt that this bridge was not going to work and it was not going to float… and so there was a particular party at that time that discouraged people from using the bridge, because of that idea. But [it is good that] that instruction was not recognised by persons who felt that it was important enough for them to use that bridge to engage in their activities.”

BUILD NATIONAL UNITY
Despite these attempts to stir up fear and division, Harmon said that another one of Burnham’s motives, with the construction of the bridge, was to build national unity with the linking of the two river banks.

“I don’t’ believe any person, particularly from Regions Three and Four, would forget the sight of thousands of Guyanese from the eastern end of the bridge following President Burnham, while persons from the western end of the bridge followed Dr. Ptolemy Reid and the euphoria which took place when the two sides met in the middle of the bridge,” Harmon reminisced.

Over time, due to inefficient maintenance, the bridge experienced disruptions such as the sinking of two piers in 1998 and other accidents which the minister said although noteworthy, does not overshadow the numerous benefits the structure has provided.
“Over the past 40 years, the Demerara Harbour Bridge has had its fair shares of challenges, but it has stood the test of time. The greatest positive impact on the economic and social development of Guyana from the time of its construction to date cannot be denied and by far outweighs the periodic technical problems and cost of maintenance of that bridge,” he said.

INFRASTRUCTURAL MARVEL
Harmon added that the bridge, which was criticised as having the ability to last only 10 years, has surpassed predicted limits by 30 years and is testimony to the quality of infrastructural works done since in the 1970s.

He commended the works of the bridge’s Project Manager Joseph Holder, stating that as the government repositions technical education on the forefront of the education system, the structure’s existence can serve as a positive example to Guyanese youths.
Meanwhile, remarks came too from Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, who congratulated the harbour bridge staff and encouraged them to uphold values of integrity and efficiency in their daily work.

“I want to challenge the management and staff of the Demerara Harbour Bridge to continue working diligently and with excellence as we continue to serve the Guyanese public. Let us also uphold those values that are consistent with the expectation of the travelling public,” she urged.

Demerara Harbour Bridge General Manager Rawlston Adams called for comprehensive work to be done to fully document the history of the floating platform.

Approximately 22,000 vehicles traverse the 1.15 miles harbour bridge daily, which also retracts horizontally, allowing for the passage of large vessels.

Prior to its construction, persons navigating from places west of the Demerara River relied on the Transport and Harbours Department ferry which did not provide a 24-hour service.
However, when commissioned, the structure gained international prominence as the world’s longest floating bridge and attracts visitors each year to witness the engineering phenomenon.