The Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) will be closed for a three-day period next month, in order to facilitate the critical replacement of Span Nine, which was damaged after a vessel crashed into the structure last year.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made the early announcement on Saturday of the impending closure, scheduled to start from 23:59h Monday, July 24, 2023, to 23:59h on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
Advised by his technical staff at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, the Minister stated that this specific time period is based on the tide between the aforementioned period.
The brand-new Span Nine currently sitting in the Demerara River as the date nears for replacement
The logistics for this replacement were also meticulously planned during the closure of the school term, to ensure a smooth transition, and as little inconvenience to the public as possible.
“This notice is also being made one month ahead of schedule to ensure persons and businesses make requisite changes where necessary: persons travelling out of the country at the time of the closure, those with doctors’ appointments and other important engagements, etc, are being urged to note these changes,” the notice directed.
Minister Edghill reassured that the Government understands the significance of this replacement and is committed to seeing this project through.
This new retractor, which spans 170 feet long and 40 feet wide and is valued at $1.2 billion, will result in a much smoother retractability in the future and enable wider vessels to pass through the channel.
“The Minister is appealing to commuters and businesses for their understanding and support during these three days of closure of the bridge, as the replacement of Span Nine cannot be done while traffic is flowing.”
Last year September, Span Nine was damaged when the Panamanian flagged vessel, MV Tradewinds Passion crashed into the bridge during a retraction period and rendered the bridge inoperable for several days.
Since then, that damaged section of the bridge had to be repaired several times, while plans were being made to replace the unit altogether.
Back in March, works were also done on Retractor Span 10. This was in addition to other emergency repairs done in February to the ageing bridge that is a critical link between several regions and the capital city as well as main airports.
In February, the bridge was closed for over 24 hours in order to facilitate emergency works to be carried out. These include changing out two static rollers, a transom beam, six panels and the mechanism to secure the changes. These works had to be done following extensive damages suffered when the Panamanian vessel crashed.
Repairs to Span Nine were undertaken by a local company, Industrial Fabrications Inc (InFab), which was completed in late 2022. In May this year, Span Nine was transported from the dockyard to the bridge for the perfect time and tide for installation.
Emergency works conducted on the bridge due to the accident have racked up a bill of over $1 billion. The Guyana Government had insisted that the company which owns the oil tanker should foot the expenses for these repairs.
However, Edghill had divulged back in April that nothing was paid by the company at that time. Government was pursuing the matter legally.
Meanwhile, during the closure, the Stabroek to Vreed-en-Hoop water taxi operation will more than likely witness an increase in commuter traffic.
A few months ago, a motorised barge and a self-loader lorry were purchased for the Harbour Bridge to the tune of over $110 million.
The multi-functional automated barge, which was refurbished from an old barge, is powered by two 300-horsepower mercury engines and was procured to transport equipment and tools during emergency repairs and/or scheduled maintenance works on the bridge.
However, General Manager of the DHBC, Wayne Watson, had explained too that it would also serve as a means of transport in emergency cases, such as the replacement of Span Nine.
“For replacing Span 9, this can also be used for taking commuters from east to the west side [and vice versa across the Demerara River]. So, it’s a multifunctional piece of equipment,” Watson had outlined. (G12)
