THE Demerara Harbour Bridge’s (DHB) ‘span nine’ which is valued at $1.2 billion, was, on Sunday, transported from the dockyard for installation.

This is a massive undertaking that requires careful planning and coordination, as the installation cannot be done while traffic is flowing.

The replacement process will leave a significant gap on the bridge, making it imperative that everything is done correctly to ensure the process is executed flawlessly.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, said there is much to be considered before the replacement of the span, such as timings and tide.

“We have to get into position [and] get everything in place. We have to get an agreement with all of the stakeholders because once it is going to be installed, it is going to cause interruption,” he said.

The minister emphasised that there would be announcements and pre-planning, which would involve consultations at all levels, to ensure that the movement of people and supplies is catered for while the span is being replaced.

With the replacement of span nine, citizens will see an enhanced retraction operation with greater capacity to move vessels through the bridge.