The cost to repair the damage done to the Demerara Harbour Bridge by a fuel tanker on Sunday stands at approximately $20 million.
General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) Rawlston Adams told Stabroek News yesterday that a report of the investigations into accident as well as the presumed cost for the repairs was sent to the lawyers of the responsible shipping company, Pritchard Gordon Tankers of the United Kingdom, on Tuesday afternoon. He added that a commitment has been given by the company to cover the costs.
Repair works commenced around 22:00 hrs on Wednesday and lasted until 03:30 hrs yesterday. During this time, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic, and since the retractor span was damaged since Sunday’s accident, the bridge has been closed to marine traffic for most of the week.
At a press briefing on Monday, Adams told reporters that two cluster piles, four connecting posts, several pontoons and the transom were damaged when UK-registered fuel tanker Lucy PG hit two cluster piles before hitting the bridge.
Adams said that each damaged component was repaired by Thursday morning, with the exception of the cluster piles, after which the retractor span was tested. After the retractor span successfully opened and closed, the bridge was re-opened to traffic.
The bridge’s retractor span could not be closed for several hours on Sunday after it was damaged. Engineers worked from the time the accident occurred (around 05:15 hrs.) until 09:00 hrs on Sunday to get the bridge to close again. In the meantime, traffic from both sides of the Demerara River was delayed.
Adams said that reports from the engineer supervising the Sunday morning shift said that during the 5 o’ clock retraction, Lucy PG was inclined as it was preparing to transit the bridge. Adams said that the captain of the vessel, a Guyanese, was warned about the position of his ship when it was about 800 metres away from the bridge. The warning fell on deaf ears and when the ship was 500 metres away from the bridge it was still inclined.
Adams said that by the time the captain of the vessel engaged the engines to realign the ship it had already hit two cluster piles and then went on to hit the bridge. Those piles now lie beneath the Demerara River, and two buoys have been sourced from the Berbice Bridge Company to act as replacement guidance instruments.
As for the captain who was piloting the vessel, Adams said that it is up to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to determine what actions, if any, are to be taken against him.
