Problematic retractor span causes hours of delay at Habour Bridge

Engineers at the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) encountered some mechanical issues while conducting late night repairs to the retractor spans, resulting in a major build up of traffic on the East and West Bank of Demerara.

The DHB, according to the notice by the company, was scheduled to be closed from 23:30hrs on Saturday to 03:00hrs on Sunday but that malfunction led to the bridge being reopened until 07:30am, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar explained.

“They are currently doing repairs on the bridge on the retractor spans but when they tried to close it back, they encountered a little issue with one of the rollers but they got it fixed and bridge was up and running since 07:30am,” he explained to the News Room on Sunday.

Major repairs are currently being done on the more than 40-year old structure.

For years, the Demerara Harbour Bridge has been plagued with mechanical issues and accidents, causing chaos at both ends as thousands of commuters rush to cross resulting in major traffic congestion.

The DHB has already outlived its lifespan and is showing signs of serious wear and tear.