More than $10M to fix Harbour Bridge; ‘inadequate’ tug grounded

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill says an assessment into Sunday night’s incident at the Demerara Harbour Bridge has found that more than $10 million is needed for repairs. The cost will be covered by the contractor who has since been found culpable.

A tug and a barge being used at the construction site of the new Demerara River Crossing crashed into the existing Harbour Bridge at about 19:30 hrs Sunday.

The tug and barge reportedly drifted from the nearby construction zone and collided with four buoys and two pontoons on the southern side of the Harbour Bridge.

On Tuesday, Edghill told the News Room that the tug was “inadequate to control the barge in such tidal conditions.” As such, he said the contractor is culpable.

And he highlighted, “The contractor has been engaged to stand the costs.”

Aside from the payments to fix the bridge, Edghill noted that the tug and barge have been grounded by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) until better safety mechanisms are instituted.

Following the incident, there was minimal disruption to the flow of river and vehicular traffic. The passage of trucks is being regulated so that additional weight isn’t placed onto the floating bridge.