Work doubled up to ensure early completion – MPI PS
Liliendaal Bridge
…major works scheduled for other ECD embankment bridges
Work on the Liliendaal bridge along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is likely to be completed by June, 2017.
The expedited timeframe is possible because the contractor, H Nauth and Son’s Construction has been asked to double the pace of work.
The depression in the bridge structure, which in part necessitated the repairs
This is according to Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) Permanent Secretary, Geoffrey Vaughn, when asked on Tuesday about the project’s progress. The ongoing works have caused a diversion of traffic from the Railway Embankment to the Rupert Craig Highway and vice versa, usually at the University of Guyana access road.
“So far, works on Liliendaal Bridge are moving apace,” Vaughn said. “We’re hoping that we should wrap up before the time span reaches in July. So, we will finish, let’s say (by) June.”
“We have the contractor trying to double up in terms of works being done on those bridges. So, once all goes well, the expected completion time, based on the contractor’s work programme, is expected to be early June.”
Design
The work on the bridge is estimated to cost $89 million. It was initiated after two inspection teams, which included Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) and MPI personnel, visited the structure and made recommendations.
The teams had recommended that the bridge be urgently closed to traffic based upon findings, which showed that one of the panel systems on the northern rail demonstrated signs of imminent failure. According to reports, one of the panels in the structure was detached, rendering the system structurally unstable.
It was also reported that a section of the northern carriageway of the bridge also experienced serviceability problems demonstrated by excessive deflection.
Another inspection was later carried out by the MPI team, which confirmed the original assessment. Works had been scheduled to start on the bridge on March 6, 2017, but the construction was pushed up given the urgency.
According to Vaughn, the bridge will be made from reinforced concrete, which is concrete with steel embedded in the material. He stated that for the Liliendaal bridge and other projects, the Ministry would be using more updated designs. Vaughn also said that there would be other upcoming projects all along the East Coast.
“So, we are changing out a few of them. For this year, we will have the Liliendaal bridge being done, then we move on to the bridges at Plaisance, and we keep going down, to try to change out almost all the bridges along the Railway Embankment.”
In 2015, the bridge had been closed to carry out work to reinforce the structure. That project had cost an estimated $12 million.
