Residents of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are pleading with the authorities to repair their main access bridge as it continues to deteriorate.
The bridge which is traversed by all types of vehicles to gain access to the ECD community has been deteriorating over the past few days and residents are concerned as several cyclists have fallen off of their bicycles during the night.
When Stabroek News visited the bridge yesterday, planks were seen out of place and several of the horizontal sections were broken. Every time a vehicle drove over the bridge it would rattle and tremble as if it were going to collapse.
Even though it is not the only entrance into the community, it is used by most commuters since the other entrance is several villages away.
“I can’t remember is how long it get so bad but that bridge ain’t fix in a long time and it getting worse every time,” a vendor who has a stand about 10 feet away from the bridge told Stabroek News yesterday. “Is about five vehicle does pass here every minute and some of them does just drive pass on it so fast like they don’t care and it does shake up bad,” the woman added. She explained that several drivers and cyclists have raised concerns about the bridge since it is labeled as “unsafe” by many.
She pointed out that even though the next entrance to the community is through Lusignan, persons prefer to use the dilapidated bridge instead of the safer option.
“I see somebody riding their bicycle on that bridge during the night and their tyre got stuck in one of the gaps between the wood and fell,” Jacob (only name given), a resident, pointed out to Stabroek News yesterday. He noted that the cyclist could’ve fallen into the nearby trench and urged the authorities to address the situation soon.
“I even remember one time a man car tyre got stick and several persons had to assist him and they need to look at it before it get worse,” the man added.
“I don’t live in here but every time I got to come through I does always go slow on that bridge because you never know when it could fall in or you could stick up,” a driver said.
