By Delicia Janneire, November 54 2024
A temporary steel structure has been installed over the Stanleytown bridge on the West Bank of Demerara to address the damage caused by heavy-laden trucks.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, confirmed during a site visit that the new structure will accommodate a 60-tonne weight limit and serve as a bypass while a new four-lane bridge is designed and constructed.
Minister Edghill emphasized that the temporary structure is a short-term solution, with plans to replace it with a four-lane bridge to better accommodate traffic.
He stated, “We want to get a new bridge in place in the shortest possible time. The current bridge will remain as a bypass while construction takes place. Once we complete a span for two lanes, we will then demolish the temporary structure and cast the other two lanes.”
In addition to the Stanleytown bridge, Edghill announced that the Ministry of Public Works will be inspecting other bridges along the West Demerara corridor to test their structural integrity, as concerns about weight-bearing capacity have arisen due to the damage of the Stanleytown bridge.
Edghill also noted that the ministry has been working on upgrading the corridor from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Wales, with tendering underway for the development of this critical access road.
The Stanleytown bridge plays a vital role in facilitating connectivity for commuters traveling between the Canals No. 2 Polder, Wales, Patentia, and those heading towards Vreed-en-Hoop or Georgetown.
The emergency works on the Stanleytown bridge were carried out by a multi-sector team, including Politecnica, China Railway, GUYCO, the NDIA, and several utility companies.