The decades old Demerara Harbour Bridge needs constant repairs and its condition worsened last year when a Panama-registered oil tanker crashed into it.
Now, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Ravi Ramcharitar says that a decision has been made to ban speeding trucks from crossing the bridge in a bid to save it from further deterioration.
“We’re facing a problem with speeding trucks and the bridge is taking a severe pounding and we have decided to recommend very strict, harsh measures for such activities.
“You will see that heavy vehicles that are persistently speeding will be banned from traversing the bridge,” Ramcharitar told reporters on Sunday night during an inspection of repair works at span eight.
The Chairman emphasised that the bridge is an old structure, requiring constant repairs. However, when the heavy trucks speed along the structure, it worsens the “wear and tear”.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who was onsite, also pleaded with truck drivers to use the bridge more appropriately.
“I know you want to be able to maximise the amount of trips you make per day to deliver your sand or stone but if we continue to be reckless, sooner or later, we will not have a bridge,” Edghill said.
Currently, the bridge has a weight limit of 18 tonnes per vehicle. Vehicles are also not permitted to drive faster than 20 miles per hour.
The bridge was significantly damaged last October when the Panama-registered oil tanker, MV Tradewind Passion, crashed into it in October last year and rendered it inoperable for several days.
Further works are needed and authorities estimate that the repair costs have climbed beyond the initial $1 billion estimated sum.
