Retractor span fixed at Harbour Bridge; Gov’t urges adherence to weight limit

The retractor span at the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) was fixed on Sunday during a three-hour closure to vehicular traffic.

A major structural component of the bridge failed on September 4 hampering the passage of marine traffic.

During the period of repairs, special retractions were being supervised by the engineers to facilitate marine traffic while the movement of heavy vehicles was restricted.

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The Ministry of Public Works in a press statement on Sunday said with the retractor span now fixed, retractions will be back on schedule, to facilitate both north and southbound marine vessels.

The Ministry urged all motorists, especially truck drivers to observe the weight limit as well as the speed limit since “both excessive weight and sudden application of brakes create damages that are very costly.”

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said long term solutions as it relates to the weight on the bridge are still being pursued. As such, trucks and heavy motor vehicles will still have restrictions at this time.

Minister Edghill expressed appreciation to the high-level technical team, engineer Marcel Gaskin from Marcel Gaskin & Associates Ltd, Former Major of the Guyana Defence Force and Former Design Engineer at the Ministry of Public Works Bhageshwar Murli, Ret’d Specialist in Bridges and Designs Joseph Holder, engineer Jerry Mark Goviea and his team from Industrial Fabrications Int.