LOAD testing has commenced on the new Demerara River Bridge, one of Guyana’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, which is nearing completion.
On Monday, the series of tests designed to verify the bridge’s structural integrity began, and according to Project Manager Patrick Thompson, the testing followed strict international standards set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Thompson told the Guyana Chronicle that not every bridge is built the same, and thus, the load testing, conducted by China Railway Construction Corporation, involves applying controlled loads to a bridge to measure responses, ensuring that the bridge can handle expected service loads without unacceptable deformation or damage.
“So, they developed a model in the ‘lab’ of what the conditions of the bridge are, and then they came out here to replicate that model. The model that was developed in the ‘lab’ produced some outputs; outputs regarding the stress that is supposed to be realised when the bridge is tested, the displacement, the strain and the stiffness,” he said, adding: “So today (Monday), we are out here trying to see if when we load the actual bridge with the same conditions as were developed by the model… whether we would have the same results as was modelled or whether those results would be less or more.”

The load testing followed specific guidelines, and was conducted with five trucks, each weighing 40 tonnes.
However, for other parts of the bridge, the load testing will differ, he said.

For the main cable stay bridge, the contractor will have to use 16 trucks as opposed to the five used on Monday.
Guyana’s transportation infrastructure will be further boosted when the bridge is officially opened to the public.
With the bridge now entering its final stages of preparation, the President reiterated confidence that the long-awaited structure will be opened to the public well before September ends.

The US$260 million bridge being constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited will have a lifespan of 100 years, and offer toll-free access.
It will operate around-the-clock, and accommodate vehicles of all sizes and weights, with a maximum speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour.

The new bridge features four lanes, and stretches 2.6 kilometres, linking Nandy Park on the East Bank Demerara to La Grange on the West Bank Demerara.
More than 50,000 daily commuters are expected to benefit from the new toll-free bridge, resulting in an estimated $3.5 billion in annual savings.