Long lines of vehicles waited for hours to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge yesterday, the commuters fuming at the long delay, which was due to maintenance work being done on the deteriorating structure.
Lines of vehicles waiting for the Demerara Harbour Bridge to be re-opened yesterday.
Five hours later, they were able to cross but for some, planned activities had to be cancelled. Notices on the toll booths said that the bridge would have been closed from midday to 3 pm. At 4 pm, it was still closed and it was not until 5 pm that traffic was finally allowed to cross.
The long wait had some commuters angry. One man said that he was supposed to catch the boat to Leguan. Another was going to Essequibo. Yet another said that he was travelling to Bartica, and the prolonged closure had upset his plans. Many others had business to attend to and visits planned to relatives on the West Coast Demerara. It was the same for persons on the West Demerara who were coming to the city.
The deteriorating state of the bridge has been criticized by many including President Bharrat Jagdeo and over $600M had been budgeted to effect repairs.
Surujpaul Sahadeo, who was going to work on his house lot at Parfait-Harmonie yesterday afternoon, was stuck close to the head of the line for four hours. It was ridiculous, he said, adding that the bridge was “unreliable”. Another man asserted that the bridge personnel had “no regards for anybody”.
Commuters told Stabroek News that it was announced that the bridge would re-open at 3 pm. Then another announcement said that the bridge would re-open at 4 pm. Lines of vehicle stretched to Eccles and Providence. Around 5 pm the bridge was finally opened and the vehicles crossed the river.
Mr. LFS Burnham should have had a plan b in place where another bridge was built somewhere futher down the demerara river
Its a good thing this one wasn’t built at the MOUTH OF THE RIVER!!!
Sweet sweet Guyana….just imagine if you had arrived on an afternoon flight,what your journey down from the airport would have been like….fun in the sun!!!
I guess the phrase “better safe than sorry” does not apply any more. We fuss for much needed action for the repairs of the structure of the bridge and we fuss at the inconvenience the much needed repairs cause.
For the safety of all,,,, two hours more what is the big fuss!! when doing maintainance, sometimes unprevisted work appears and you have to finish it.
Ya’ll ent rememba de pre `92———24,,,48,,,96,,,120 hours G-U-Y-L-I-N-E-S
It was better to wait for the 5 hrs. than a tragedy waiting to happen. Thanks to the maintenence crew.
You are right sam…better safe than sorry.but dont you think it would have been better to work during the night hours when the traffic is less crowded.
They want the bridge to be fixed. How do they expect it will get done.
Point well taken Sandhurst, it could have been that the repairs was to be done ASAP, otherwise maintenence can be schedule for during the night, with less traffic to content with. Just my humble suggestion.
yes very wise and humble indeed.
Well said, I do agree with you SAM.
600 Million dollars in maintenance work.
Work must and should be done around the hours of, 9 p.m to 5 a.m.,
not at rush hour time when folks are going or coming
from work, that is how it is on the Brooklyn, Manhattan and
other bridges in N.Y.
Typicial Guyanese! Damn if you do and damn if you don’t…just last week there was an uproar when two vehicles were damaged when the broken plate on the bridge was the cause.
Complaints of all kind were told of the state of disrepair of the bridge. People you should be so lucky, one week later repairs of the bridge has started. So what if your day was ruined and you lost a few hours waiting to resume your day? Do you guys want it broken or fixed?
Whine, whine, complain, complain, Why don’t some of you get proactive about the crime wave and do some complaining to your government and see if they can get the guns off the streets in one week!
get the guns off the street in one week .
that is a lovely thought.
why don’t you sak the mayor of toronto that same question.
This is foolishness well done. All these delays and inconveniences ,short notices given concerning closings,points to a serious lack of management skills and a 99% non use of the brain. That is if it is working.A sensible operation would be to give notices of bridge closings, employ the ferry as a relief, and shut the bridge down for a few days to effect necessary repairs and structural inspections.
You don’t THINK that those criminals/murderers/get rich quickers would have more opportunity to prey on YOU.
No, if there is adequate security there then they wouldn’t…………In London the garbage collectors clean the streets at nights, this way it is better for the vendors and shoppers than if they were doing it during rush hours.
Guyana is a beautiful country with some of the most friendly people on earth, if one man makes a mistakes it doesn’t mean that all men will make that same mistake which he had made.
When you are talking anything about Guyana please do not jump to the conclusion that almost everyone are criminals and thieves…….show some respect!!!
Not in London alone, Budapest, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Perth etc but are well Illuminated at nitetime. Who would rob a street cleaner?
But will surely prey, those criminals/whitemouths on one returning home after a day of business, etc,etc. And who cries/lament about the Government incapacity to control the criminals; you are talking of man made convenient mistakes murder to rob!
What do you know of Guyana more than yours truely?
What conclusion am I jumping at? And,
Who must I show respect to? for what?
Many were bitten by a swarm of African bees, the other day, have you read the Stabroek News! Lately.
Those who were bitten by the bees lives in Meadowbrook Gardens, the same area where i live………
Whats your point?
Have you ever seen the movie “Grumpy Old Men”?