Wismar Bridge repairs: Drivers who suffered damages to be compensated – Edghill

…works to be completed today

Drivers and motorists, who suffered damages due to incomplete works on the Wismar-Linden Bridge in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) on Monday will be compensated, Government has assured.
On Sunday night and into the wee hours of Monday morning, rehabilitative and maintenance works were undertaken on the bridge, and due to the short window of time, there were incomplete works. This resulted in a four-inch hedge, causing discomfort to drivers. There were also reports of tires suffering damages from protruding bolts and nuts.

On Monday morning, there was some amount of unease and inconvenience to drivers and motorists, voicing their concerns over the state of the structure.
As he addressed the public hours later, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill indicated that the Linmine Secretariat and management of the Wismar-Linden Bridge were engaged to allow for a prompt resolution.
By this morning, it is expected that the maintenance will be completed and the process will commence to have these drivers compensated.
“I had a videocall with all of the taxi drivers that were out at the Wismar end of the bridge…They have shown me their tyres that have been busted or damaged. The agreement that we have is that the manager will document the vehicles’ number, name of driver and photographic evidence of the damages that have been incurred and…by Thursday morning, we will be engaging those persons about how we can deal with the damages,” said the Public Works Minister.
Edghill has indicated that there is no intent to ‘slow up’ traffic across the Linden-Wismar Bridge, adding that authorities want a free flow of vehicles.
He identified that just last Friday, President Irfaan Ali was in Region 10 where assurances were made to improve service to users of the current bridge. In that light, the Minister called for persons to desist from inciting political agitation.

“There is no need for politics to get involved in a matter that is purely technical and can be addressed at the technical level. Political agitation and political mischief should not be allowed to interrupt the lives of a community that is seeking to progress and develop.”
He added, “We have heard the voices of the aggrieved taxi drivers; some of them indicating that as a result of the damages, they will not be able to work for the day. We’re going to work with you to ensure we have these matters corrected soonest.”
Users were asked to proceed with caution during maintenance works, and move at the appropriate speed until the situation is remedied.

New Wismar Bridge
On Friday, the Guyana Government signed a contract to the tune of US$35 million for the construction of a new four-lane bridge at Wismar in Linden – a facility that will serve as a critical link in the road network that is being built out with the aim of making Guyana a transport and logistic hub in the Region.
The new MacKenzie/Wismar Bridge will be built by China Railway and Construction – the same company that is constructing the new US$260 million bridge across the Demerara River.
The contract has a two-year timeline for the completion of the structure. This four-lane bridge will be a pre-cast structure running 220 metres long and will include vital safety features such as lighting and signs. It will boast a maximum horizontal clearance of 32 metres and a vertical clearance of 11.5 metres.
The new bridge will land some distance away from the original single-lane bridge built by the Demerara Bauxite Company from 1965 to 1967.
Back in June 2023, Guyana signed a historic US$150 million loan with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to finance several transformational infrastructural projects in the country including the construction of the four-lane Wismar Bridge. The agreement included a US$50 million loan for the long-awaited four-lane Wismar Bridge. (G12)