Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River bridge: Police to increase presence, clampdown on traffic offences

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is stepping up its presence on newly commissioned US$262 million Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River bridge, as part of a clampdown on reckless driving, speeding, and other traffic offences. The move comes amid rising concerns about irresponsible behaviour on the bridge on the day of its commissioning, resulting in officers now tasked to enforce stricter penalties and maintain safer roadways for commuters. On Sunday, President Dr Irfaan Ali officially commissioned the state-of-the-art four-lane bridge, a key piece of national infrastructure expected to transform connectivity and reduce travel time.

However, several instances of lawless and reckless driving on the bridge were recorded, prompting the GPF to act decisively. Traffic Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh, said officers will adopt a zero-tolerance approach to traffic offences on and around the bridge. “So as the traffic officer of the country I want to give the assurance that whatever would be done going forward it translates to an action that is generally acceptable and to the satisfaction of the public with one expectation that the driver’s population, the motorist population understand that for every action of yours that is not contextualised to be lawful and the points will be proven you can and will be charged or ticketed and placed before a court of law and how we will operate going forward is that we will report every day to the Minister as to offenders cases made and the follow-up when they are prosecuted,” Singh said. Singh made it clear that police divisions will coordinate to ensure steady traffic flow, particularly at critical choke points such as roundabouts and access lanes leading onto the bridge. Traffic Chief, outlined new measures to ease congestion and improve movement between the west and east banks. He explained that traffic will now flow in two lanes in both directions, ensuring continuous movement. Additionally, motorists must approach the roundabout with caution and observe the five Cs – care, caution, consideration, courtesy, and common sense, especially since motorcycle and vehicle patrols will be stationed along the bridge and access roads to ensure drivers remain in their designated lanes.
Caution and consideration
Meanwhile, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill has issued an appeal to persons using the new Bharat Jagdeo Demerara River bridge to exercise more caution and consideration, and not panic. “The bridge will see a continual flow of traffic uninterrupted. There will be no stoppage of traffic in the morning or in the afternoon. We have moved from a two-lane bridge to a four-lane bridge. We used to close off the bridge for double-lane traffic to clear the volume and the congestion in the mornings and in the afternoons. There are no priority lanes…We’re asking for patience. We’re asking for consideration, and we’re asking for responsible behaviour. The approach road to the old Demerara River Bridge at a northern carriageway will be improved to connect to the new bridge. As a result, over the next several days, the Chinese contractor will be working day and night to complete that lane,” the Minister said. Traffic officials also detailed several routes to ease movement from Georgetown and surrounding areas. Drivers leaving central Georgetown can access the bridge via two main routes, the East Bank Public Road, turning east at Providence’s Red Road to connect with Winsor Access Road leading directly to the bridge; or the Mandela-to-Heros Highway Road link, continuing west onto the bridge’s access point. Motorists from the East Coast can use the bypass road, while those coming from the southern direction have multiple options via Greenfield, Red Road, or directly into the main roundabout leading to the bridge.
Traffic officers will be stationed at key intersections and roundabouts to manage flow and penalize offenders who breach the rules. The new 50-metre fixed high-span cable-stayed Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River bridge is a four-lane 2.6-kilometre (km) concrete structure with a cycle/pedestrian lane that stretches from Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD). Designed with a lifespan of 100 years and built by China Railway Construction (International) Limited with Politecnica as the supervisory consultant, the new bridge will operate toll-free, 24/7, with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h.
The superstructure is constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of vehicular and marine traffic, which will boost the transportation of products and services throughout the nation, drastically cut down on travel time and improve connectivity between Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Mahaica-Berbice). It replaces the decades-old Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which President Ali said served faithfully, carrying dreams, burdens and the daily journeys of thousands. However, the floating steel 1.85-km structure’s lifetime had long expired.