…as consultant tests social, environmental impacts of project on community

By Vanessa Braithwaite
LINDENERS were on Thursday consulted on the social and environmental impact the construction of the new Wismar to Mackenzie bridge, would bring to the neighbouring communities and township as a whole.

The consultation was hosted by Politecnica – the consultancy firm hired by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. In his presentation to a packed audience, Environmental Specialist, Marciano Glasgow, related that the task of the consultancy is to prepare the final design of the bridge based on a detailed feasibility study, which is presently being done, as well as bid documents.

Lindeners were told that no site or design was decided on thus far and therefore the consultation is to give them a chance to impact the final decision. In expressing their choice for the site, many Lindeners leaned towards the bridge being constructed in close proximity to the existing bridge, somewhere along the West Watooka corridor. Others requested that the bridge be constructed at the Christianburg area. Whatever site is chosen, the residents stressed on the need for sufficient space for vehicles, especially large trucks to turn and to avoid traffic build up around the area, as is occurring now at the existing bridge.

The consultants also explained that there may be need to move structures to accommodate the construction. Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) branch manager, Rawle Friday, revealed that the water treatment equipment is close to the proposed site and it is very important to consider the disruption of this equipment during construction. If this is done, he said, water distribution on the Wismar shore will be severely affected. The consultants noted his point and held further discussions with him.

Relative to the environmental impact, the Environmental Protection Agency was also present at the meeting and a representative spoke of the role the organisation is playing in ensuring the environment is not severely affected by the construction. With pile driving and other works that will be done during construction, residents voiced their concern of how this would affect nearby houses and more importantly, the present bridge’s operation.
For the design, those present preferred the bridge to be durable and wide enough to take on heavy-duty vehicles such as lumber trucks, which are a regular feature in Linden. The bridge, they requested, should also be high enough to accommodate bauxite ships and be disability-friendly with the necessary accessories to make their travel safe and easier. With the current issue of trucks traversing the existing bridge overweight, it was suggested that scales be placed at both ends of the bridge. The residents also spoke of how accessing infrastructure should match the width of the bridge to accommodate the influx of traffic that is expected in the mining town, with the construction of the Linden to Lethem Road.

The new bridge will be built according to AASHTO standards and will have two lanes and walkways. It should be suitable for the passage of vessels on the river. Presently the study is in task 2(b), which includes the environmental and social impact analysis. Following that the draft design, the final design and two workshops will take place. Politecnica is an Italian firm and the team working on the bridge consists of key experts such as a structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, transport economist, social and gender specialist, and an environmental and management specialist. The consultants promised to return to Linden to hold a future consultation based on the preliminary design and proposed location.