Conditions at Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge a major concern – Councillor

The state of the almost 50-year-old Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge at Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) continues to be a topic of concern for users, residents and officials.
Recently, Municipal Councillor Lennox Gasper shed light on the centre span of the

bridge, which serves as the only bridge linking Mackenzie to Wismar shore, which appears to be seriously corroded. Motor vehicle users have also complained of the harsh condition of the wooden decking situated at the centre of the bridge, which they noted has damaging effects on the undercarriage of their vehicles. Dysfunctional traffic lights have also, for years, resulted in intense traffic build-up during peak hours.
Regional Councillor Charles Sampson has said that, as a daily user of the bridge, he has observed that it appears to be sinking. He has called on the Linden Municipality and the Linmine Secretariat (under whose purview the bridge falls), as well as the Public Infrastructure Ministry, to have the bridge inspected. He said there is generally a slowdown in traffic at the centre span of the bridge, where the wooden decking is situated, and he noted that focus should be placed on constructing a new bridge.
“I am convinced that the bridge needs to be inspected by engineers to determine its present condition and how suitable it is for continuous usage under those conditions… Over the past 10 months, I have seen the sinking on the bridge on the Wismar side. It has sunk about a little over two inches, and it is worrying because I’m not certain that the limits on the bridge are being taken seriously…,” he noted.
Councillor Gasper, who shared images of the bridge on social media, said the aim is to bring awareness and attention to the bridge, so that authorities would take immediate action, given the present state of the bridge.
Gasper noted that the bridge is used by commuters to access Regions Seven, Eight and Nine, and major mining companies also use the bridge. He said while it was upgraded to carry 30 tonnes, he is surprised that larger vehicles traverse the bridge. Gasper said the vehicular scale situated at nearby West Watooka is “totally abandoned”, and trucks heading into the interior are not being weighed prior to crossing the bridge.
Chief Executive Officer of the Linmine Secretariat, Emmet Alves, addressing the issue, said that, over the years, residents have complained about congestion on the bridge occurring at peak hours, and have made calls for a two-lane bridge. He noted that Government officials had, a few years ago, visited to determine a suitable location for a new bridge, and the latest he has heard was that of the feasibility study. He said the major concern of the bridge is its centre span, most of the major components of which were changed in 2010.
Between this year and last year, Alves said, wooden planks were removed from the centre span, and inspection and repairs were carried out on the metal works below the wooden span. The components, he added, were seen to be intact.