PUBLIC Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, said the additional $623 million supplementary budget, which the government sought from the National Assembly, will be used to further support the infrastructure of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Defending his ministry’s request on Monday, Minister Edghill recalled that upon assuming office last year, he discovered that the bridge was in a “dire” state of disrepair, which he pointed out warranted emergency intervention. “Evidence was provided by the way of correspondence that the then minister was written to, making him aware of what needed to be done, but nothing was done.” The minister noted that the $623 million will support the “much-needed repairs” on retractor spans nine and 10 of the Harbour Bridge. “We have made a policy decision not to allow trucks carrying more than 18 tonnes to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The interventions have narrowed the span because we have had to insert a pontoon to prop up span nine,” Minister Edghill said.  Some $850 million was allocated to the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) in the 2021 National Budget. Of that sum, $650 million was spent on repairs to retractors nine and 10. Earlier this year, the Public Works Ministry tendered to repair those two retractors and proposals returned with a price tag of $1.2 billion.

The Public Works Minister said the $623 million will fill the shortfalls for the contract, which has been awarded. He highlighted too that the additional funds will ensure the longevity of the Harbour Bridge until the new, fixed, high-span bridge is completed.
Meanwhile, General Manager of the DHBC, Wayne Watson, said once all commuters work together, the life of the bridge could be prolonged.
“I think that we have the resources in terms of the knowledge and experience, to keep the existing bridge. Some of the other issues that we are trying to tackle is the speed of the loaded or laden trucks. We are going to be putting up signs and we will be monitoring. Once we have the intervention by the traffic units from both sides and once we are able to provide necessary education; once we understand and we work together, we can prolong the life of the bridge with adequate preventative maintenance,” he told DPI in an interview last month.
Meanwhile, the Public Work’s Minister told the House that an additional $412 million, aside from the $623 million, was being sought as it may be needed to repair the bridge’s anchorage system. Minister Edghill said those anchors were neglected by management over the past five years. (DPI)