Damaged Strathspey bridge adds to ECD traffic woes

…Police deploy extra ranks to ease EBD traffic as road closes for bridge construction
…to be reopened in 24 hours

As infrastructure upgrades progress along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), commuters are facing growing concerns over increased traffic congestion. Ongoing bridge repairs and the railway embankment expansion—exacerbated by a recent incident at the Strathspey Bridges last Thursday—have led to road closures, diverting more vehicles onto the East Coast Public Road and resulting in significant delays.
Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh disclosed that with the closure of key access points, commuters have resorted to risky driving behaviours, including overtaking, undertaking, and driving on parapets, leading to bottlenecks and unsafe road conditions. He explained that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has responded by deploying additional traffic ranks on foot and motorcycles to regulate the flow of traffic and enforce road safety measures.
“Recognising that the same volume of traffic exists with now only one lane of traffic and one road to utilise. We put in place a third lane or a second lane. Which is managed by the police on the ground, on foot and on motorcycles because it helps us to move quicker within the area to manage the flow of traffic. That span of traffic that we are looking at for the third lane or second lane from time to time is from Coldingen turn to Annandale Public Road by the Market Road. It demands that we hold Eastbound traffic at that area for 10 to 15 minutes,” he added.

On Thursday last, an overloaded truck traversed an already compromised section on the Strathspey Bridges along the Railway Embankment resulting in a structural failure.
Given the severity of the situation, the Project Team for the Railway Embankment Road Improvement and Widening Project acted immediately, in consultation with Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and the GPF, to close the affected bridges for public safety.
To mitigate the disruption, the contractor, H. Nauth & Sons, has been engaged to install precast concrete slabs that will serve as a temporary bridge deck. These emergency works are being expedited, and the bridge is expected to be reopened for use within the next 24 hours.
Additionally, recognising the increased strain on alternative routes, the Ministry will be undertaking urgent repairs to the Bladen Hall School Road and the Coldingen Road to improve traffic flow and minimise disruptions during this period.
The ECD Road Expansion Project is a major infrastructural initiative aimed at improving traffic flow and accommodating the region’s rapid development. As part of this project, the Railway Embankment Road will be expanded to four lanes, running from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau. Additionally, the existing ECD Road will be widened to four lanes between Orange Nassau and Mahaica, while the two-lane ECD Road between Belfield and Orange Nassau will undergo rehabilitation.
To enhance connectivity and efficiency, the project also includes the construction of 42 culverts and 76 bridges. Among these new structures is a bridge across the Hope Canal at the Railway Embankment section, which will further improve access and traffic management in the area.

EBD road closure
Meanwhile, with a two-day closure of a section of the East Bank Demerara (EBD) Public Road to facilitate the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge, the traffic chief has assured that enough traffic ranks will be deployed to help direct commuters and manage congestion along alternative roadways such as the Heroes Highway.
To facilitate construction on the new Demerara River Bridge, a section of the EBD Public Road will be closed to vehicular traffic from April 5 -6. The GPF has assured the commuters that measures are in place to mitigate disruptions through alternative routes and increased traffic management.

The road closure will extend from the Demerara Harbour Bridge intersection to the Ramada Princess Hotel entrance for a 48-hour period. In response, the East Bank Police Division has implemented a traffic diversion plan to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles.
According to Traffic Chief Singh, the designated detours that will direct traffic toward Heroes Highway via multiple access points, including Diamond Access Road, Little Diamond, Mocha Road, Greenfield Road, and Red Road.
“Police will be there to ensure that you can turn right and proceed smoothly, safely…What we intend to do is based on the assessment conducted more than two weeks ago, and when we did our traffic advisory, which is already out, is to guide the road user that rather than come all the way to Red Road, where you know some form of congestion may exist, prevent that and exit to the Heroes Highway when you’re going for the north. What you can do is to access the communities in that area, utilise the same East Bank Public Road, come as close as possible and go into those communities. Nothing prevents you from doing that,” Singh explained.
To further manage congestion, traffic ranks will be stationed along key intersections to guide commuters. Additional measures, including temporary adjustments to traffic flow and police monitoring of bottlenecks, are also being implemented.
However, the Traffic Chief has urged motorists to drive cautiously, adhere to speed limits, and comply with police directions to ensure a safe and efficient commute.
“You must drive with, in keeping with the speed limits. You must be cognisant that there are other persons who share the same space on the road with you. Observe the directions and or comply with the directions given by police. And give priority naturally to the elderly or pedestrians,” the traffic chief said.