General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Rawlston Adams
The Demerara Harbour Bridge has undergone critical maintenance this past week, and commuters who transit the bridge are asked to put necessary measures in place to deal with extended bridge closures, especially for several hours today.
General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams, speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, told media operatives that these closures are as a result of long overdue rehabilitation works.
The Bridge will be closed for seven hours this (Saturday) morning from 08:30h. Adams explained that one of the extra-large pontoons used to support the bridge has to be changed.
He explained that, two weeks ago, the Bridge was closed for six hours to accommodate the replacement of one of the pontoons under the retractor span on the western side. However, he added, “The last of the extra-large pontoons under the retractor span on the eastern side, which should have been changed over a year now, will be changed.”
The engineers have already removed the walkway, stairs, and platforms, have disconnected hinges and hydraulic pipes, and have installed temporary pontoons. On Friday, they were slated to remove the hydraulic hinges and pipes. Today the switching of the pontoons will be completed.
Finally, on Sunday, the system will be reconnected. There will be system checks conducted on Monday, and by Tuesday the Bridge should return to normal retractions.
“We’ve decided that we will do it one (phase) at a time; and the method is to close the bridge to marine traffic, (and) open (it) to vehicular traffic, except for Saturday, when we’ll be closing for a very lengthy period,” Adams highlighted.
Later in the year, during the springtide period in the first week of November, DHBC will be changing one of the large pontoons. According to the Department of Public Information, the DHBC has already replaced four of its five pontoons, catered for in its 2017 work programme.
July 2018 will be the 40th anniversary of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. Adams maintains that there continues to be challenges, including difficulties with some of the panels. “We’re seeing cracks and we’re doing work (on) them, and we’re in discussion to change those panels next year; which would mean that the bridge would have to be shut down for three days in the first quarter. But we’re discussing what would be done.”
Another challenge facing the bridge is the sourcing of parts. Adams indicated that the DHBC has recently been storing dismantled components from the railway embankment bridges, especially pins and cardboards.
“We want to make sure we harvest all those components that come off those bridges and we use them for our maintenance purposes. We have harvested a couple hundred cardboards which are very important for keeping all the panels and the frames together. The issue is that the quality of cardboards that we would buy is not the same quality as the original, so we prefer to use the original,” Adams explained.
The Department of Public Information has said the works on the bridge will be carried out at a cost of $102 million.
