The long-awaited Berbice River Bridge is to be open to light vehicular traffic by December 23, although there is still concern that the completion of the eastern access road is lagging behind schedule.

“We are hoping for a sooner date… but the latest date we will have will be the 23rd,” Chairperson of the Berbice Bridge Company Incorpo-rated (BBCI) Geeta Singh-Knight told members of the media during a tour to the bridge yesterday. She explain-ed that it would be initially opened to all taxis, minibuses and other light vehicles. The initial opening will not cater to goods’ vehicles, Singh-Knight said, and a public notice will be issued at least a week before they are to be allowed to traverse over the structure.

The announcement came after numerous delays, missed deadlines and other obstacles encountered in constructing the roughly US$40M floating bridge, which is said to have a lifespan of over 30 years. The most recent deadline for the completion was September but owing to a delay with the shipment of the retractor span it could not have been met. The bridge opening will be a welcome holiday gift to Berbicians and other travellers who have been awaiting an alternative to the slow and often unreliable ferry crossings. Berbicians expressed relief at yesterday’s announcement as only one vessel has been plying the New Amsterdam to Rosignol route. Commuters, especially vehicle owners have been experiencing several hours of delay to cross the river and are “praying that the nightmare would end soon.”
The contract for the project has been signed for a cost of US$8.7 M and is set for completion in April 2009, when the official commissioning and handing-over is expected to take place. Singh-Knight said that the contractors–Bosch Rexroth and Mabey & Johnson–would be handing over a fully lit bridge, including on the high span (and under the high span for the ships) and retractor span as well as lighting on both ends of the access roads.

Toll booths being constructed at the D’Edward end of the Berbice River Bridge.

Members of the media were given a first-hand look at the ongoing works during the tour. The western end of the roughly 1570 metres-long bridge is set at D’Edward Village and extends across the river to Crab Island on the eastern side.  It was observed that the western end at D’ Edward is almost completed, while on the eastern side the asphalt has still not been placed. But according to Singh-Knight, the company has been assured that the eastern access road will be ready. “We have been given assurances that the road will be prepared, that vehicles will be able to move on it at the time of opening of the bridge,” she said.

An official from the Dipcon Contracting Com-pany, which is building the road, told Stabroek News that it is pleased with the work on the access road, while it is trying its best to ensure that the eastern road is ready for use by the proposed opening date. The official said only 15% of the work is left to be completed at the D’ Edward Village end, including the final asphalt surface. He said that all of the “concrete works for the drains have been completed and that the base is in place for the lighting facility” to be installed, though the work has been stopped for the past month to facilitate the construction of the toll plaza and the “weigh bridge.”
Meanwhile, he said, the contractor is in the process of placing the final layer of reef sand on the eastern end of the road, which stretches from Palmyra to Crab Island. After that, he said, the crusher run would be applied before the paving of the asphalt commences. The culvert at that end is 90% completed. The official explained that delays are being experienced because of intermittent rainfall. He said, “A couple hours of rain means a couple days of delay….” But he noted that at the moment the weather is favourable. The contractor has also suffered setbacks in sourcing of the reef sand and the “changing of the designs.”

Work ongoing at the Crab Island end of the Berbice River Bridge while a portion of decking is still to be laid on this section of the bridge.

‘Riding surface’
Engineer Bert Carter, Chairman of the technical team, told reporters that assurances have been given by the contractor and the government that there will be a “riding surface” between D’Edward and Palmyra when the bridge opens. “It will not be an asphalt surface like you see out on the public road but it will be a surface good enough to offer a riding quality,” Carter detailed, while noting that there will be settlement on the road. “Both structures will get some differential settlement,” he said, adding that like the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) it will be allowed to consolidate initially and then surfaced.
A BBCI director said it is hoped that the road would at least be “drivable in time for the opening, if not completed. You do not have to get a completed road for it to be passable. Work could still go on even after the bridge is opened to the public.”

A tug crosses under the high span of the Berbice River Bridge yesterday.

Works on the bridge are still ongoing including ancillary works on buildings and toll booths.
The Berbice Bridge, which stretches for almost two miles, will be shorter than the DHB but will have a similar width of 22 feet. Currently, only one span out of a total of 39 remains to be installed, while work is being finalised on the retractors, Singh-Knight said.
According to a statement from the BBCI, the erection of the west retractor span is 80% completed and the eastern retractor span is about 60% completed. These sections will be built on top of the eastern and western acceptor span.

Marine traffic
Upon retraction for marine traffic, the width of the channel would be 70 metres, which would be the same as the DHB while the depth is four feet on average at low tide. The retractor span would facilitate large vessels, while other maritime traffic, particularly from the bauxite company Oldendorf, would be able to pass under the high span “unimpeded”. The high span is 40 feet in height while the distance between the two pontoons that support the high span is 120 feet. Only vessels 40 feet or less would be allowed to traverse under the high span of the bridge. Such craft will need to have radio communication with bridge authorities but those using the channel during retraction must give 24 hours advance notice. There is a buffer zone of one mile on either side of the bridge.  In the original design of the bridge, the high span was to be positioned on the western end of the bridge but the design was adjusted for the high span to be placed at the eastern end. The change was made to facilitate a better flow of the river traffic.

On the D’Edward side, construction of the abutment has been completed and the first landing span installed. The Crab Island abutment is 80% completed. The bridge protection system for the high and retractor spans were installed.

The surface of the bridge is coated with an epoxy resin and then overlaid with calcined bauxite, making the bridge virtually skid free. Also, cameras will be placed strategically to detect speeding and according to Singh-Knight, those caught doing so will be fined and they could also be banned if they persist. The speed limit on the bridge is set at 50 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour).

Additionally, the generator buildings at D’Edward and Crab Island have been constructed while connection of primary power by the Guyana Power and Light on the D’Edward side has been done with similar work to begin on the eastern side shortly. Work is ongoing on the toll plazas and the administration and maintenance buildings. The security building and two public conveniences are 95% completed.

The bridge company would be mobilising and training almost 60 staff to manage and maintain the bridge for the next 21 years. Vacancies were advertised and persons shortlisted; interviews are set for next week. Not all staff will be hired immediately and those that are, will begin work on December 1 and so will have three weeks of training before the bridge opens.

Tolls

Meanwhile, Singh-Knight said that tolls for using the bridge have been finalised by the company and will be taken to the government for approval. The tolls will be a bit higher than those now paid for using the ferry. “The structure we have worked out is ranging between five to ten percent (higher than current ferry toll) for the different categories,” Singh-Knight said. She noted that they were working with the current ferry structure and when the “willingness to pay” survey was looked at it came out higher. She said that the government’s response is expected within a week or two week’s time.

Tolls would only be collected on the western side of the bridge but a mini toll station is also being erected on the eastern side. Vehicles would be allowed to cross up to the 40-tonne weight limit and trucks would have to be weighed and may be required to pay extra toll, depending on their weight. The average toll for a vehicle will be around $1,400 [costs would vary for different classes of vehicles] but no charge will be levied for individual passengers. This amount was calculated on the basis of a formula intended to secure sufficient revenue to cover all operating and maintenance costs, return on investment and repayment on financing.

Singh-Knight had said that the contract amounts are fixed and changes in procurement costs would not change anything. She said that BBCI hopes to use an automated system or an easy-pass system rather than paper ticket payment of tolls.
Among those accompanying the media on the tour were BBCI Secretary, Winston Brassington, Chief Executive Officer Omadatt Samaroo, as well as directors P.E Fredricks, former chancellor Cecil Kennard and Earl Chung. Representing the contractor, Bosch Rexroth and Mabey & Johnson were Site Supervisor/Installation Manager Henry Muskens and Project Manager Will Maas.

BBCI’s six common shareholders are Colonial Life Insurance Company (Clico), the National Insurance Scheme, the Hand in Hand Fire Insurance Company, Secure Inter-national Finance, Demerara Engineers & Contractors Limited (a subsidiary of Demerara Distillers Ltd), and New GPC. Other investors in the project are Republic Bank Limited, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, Citizens Bank, Demerara Bank, Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc , Hand in Hand Trust Corporation, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the New Building Society.