Removal of sand truck from trench snarls East Bank traffic

The sand truck being hoisted out of the trench yesterday at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, as residents look on.
The sand truck being hoisted out of the trench yesterday at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, as residents look on.

The removal of a large sand truck from a trench in Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, resulted in major traffic congestion along the highway yesterday midday.

From about 11 am, traffic moving south along the East Bank Highway from as far as Farm to Great Diamond moved at snail’s pace and was monitored by traffic ranks from the Guyana Police Force as efforts got underway to move the sand truck which had toppled into the trench.

Stabroek News learned that the accident happened sometime on Sunday afternoon as the truck was traveling south, on the western side of the carriageway. The driver lost control while trying to avoid hitting a vehicle. He subsequently swerved right and careened into the trench. No one was injured.

The eastern side of the East Bank Highway being used for two-lane traffic yesterday.

The vehicle remained submerged and it was only yesterday morning that efforts were made to move it.

A large crane tried valiantly to lift the truck out of the trench and this took several hours. As a result of the operation, the western lane of the highway, which facilitates traffic moving north towards the city was closed off from Great Diamond/ Prospect. As a result, the eastern lane that facilitates vehicles traveling south was converted to enable movement in both directions.