Damage caused during its removal and bad storage have made the Independence Arch unsuitable to be put up anywhere in the city and the government has again committed to its rebuilding and reinstallation before the next Independence celebrations.
Four years of the regular celebrations to mark the independence anniversary have elapsed without the arch in place and many, particularly those living in the area and those interested in Guyana’s heritage, have queried what efforts are being made to reinstall such an important element of Guyana’s history.
The arch which had been a popular landmark since its construction in 1966 to mark the commemoration of the granting of Independence to the then British Guiana was removed since November 14, 2004 when expansive works were ongoing on the East Bank road from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Ruimveldt where the arch was located.
The arch was constructed in 1966 by GEO. A. Hamilton and Sons. Some years ago Seereeram Brothers of Trinidad was given the US$16M road contract, which included the removal of the structure.
When it was taken down the then Public Works Minister Anthony Xavier was quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying that a new one would be set up across the four-lane road.
Contacted yesterday for comment, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn told this newspaper he believed that much attention was not paid to the storage of the arch and a combination of damage and deterioration plus the way in which it was dismantled, would make it necessary for another arch to be constructed. “I will commit to having it back up before the next independence anniversary,” Benn stated.
He noted that there was a plan to install the arch somewhere in the Ruimveldt area or close to the entrance into Agricola.
