Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill says the additional $623M supplementary budget, which the Government sought and was subsequently approved by the National Assembly, will be used to further support the infrastructure of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Defending his Ministry’s request Monday, Minister Edghill recalled that upon assuming office last year, he discovered that the bridge was in a “dire” state of disrepair, which he pointed out warranted emergency intervention.
“Evidence was provided by the way of correspondence that the then Minister was written to, making him aware of what needed to be done, but nothing was done.”
The Minister noted that the $623M will support the “much-needed repairs” on retractor spans nine and ten of the Harbour Bridge.
“We have made a policy decision not to allow trucks carrying more than 18 tonnes to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge. The interventions have narrowed the span because we have had to insert a pontoon to prop up span nine,” Minister Edghill said.
Some $850 million was allocated to the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) in the 2021 National Budget. Of that sum, $650M was spent on repairs to retractors nine and ten. Earlier this year, the Public Works Ministry tendered to repair those two retractors and proposals returned with a price tag of $1.2B.
The Public Works Minister said the $623M will fill the shortfalls for the contract, which has been awarded. He highlighted too that the additional funds will ensure the longevity of the Harbour Bridge until the new, fixed, high-span bridge is completed.
