Residents and drivers traversing Mahaica are now able to make use of the Lima Bridge, located in Jonestown, Mahaica, after the bridge was left incomplete for months.
In April, a resident, in a letter to Stabroek News, expressed his frustration about the construction and stated that when the construction commenced, road users were not notified.
When Stabroek News made a visit to Jonestown, Mahaica on Monday, the bridge was connected to the road and drivers and pedestrians were able to use the bridge. One security officer who was at her post at the time of the visit told this newspaper that vehicles and pedestrians started using the bridge, just a few months back. The woman who asked to not be named stated that she noticed that some young men in the village placed sand that was left at the construction site into the empty spaces which would have connected the road and the bridge. “Is couple months ago some boys from the village throw in the sand by the bridge (and) a car de try driving over and it get stick up cause the sand didn’t pack in good,” she said.
The woman went on to say that she does not know if or when the contractors came to complete the bridge. She added that prior to the bridge being almost completed, the makeshift wooden walkway that was placed beside the construction site had become extremely unsafe for pedestrians to use. One bus driver who was passing and made his way over the bridge, shouted out that he was happy the bridge was finally done to the point where he and other drivers are now able to use it instead of an alternate route through the village.
Officials at the Unity/Vereeniging Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) stated that the NDC was not responsible for the construction of the bridge as it was not within one of the smaller streets in any of the communities covered by the NDC. It was however noted that as the project was a large one, the contract was handed out by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. Efforts to contact an official at the Ministry for comment on the project proved futile.
Previous reports indicated that the project began some time last year, and residents stated that the project would always “start and stop”. At that time, minibus operators and residents were forced to make their way around through an alternate route and no signs alerting drivers to take the detour were erected.
