Members of the Guyana Defence Force’s 4 Engineers Battalion have completed a heavy-duty bridge at PremNagar, Met-en-Meerzorg, West Coast Demerara, replacing the old timber structure which had served the community for decades.
A release from the GDF said that the new bridge is a composite-material structure comprising of steel, I-section beams and concrete decking.
A commissioning ceremony was held on site on Tuesday. This is another in a series of projects to be executed countrywide as part of the Government’s community-based initiative which will see the Force becoming more community oriented in its service to Guyana, the release said.
Construction of the bridge began on January 29, 2021 and concluded on April 30, 2021.
Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall who was on hand for the commissioning ceremony said he was pleased with the work of the soldiers. “I am pleased with the work done by the GDF, and I’m happy with the initiative taken by the President, to collaborate efforts. The GDF does indeed have many talents and skills and I’m also grateful that they were able to complete the construction in a timely manner and at seventy percent of the original cost,” he said, according to the press release.
Rajdai Indar, a resident of the community expressed gratitude for the work done. “I am happy for the new bridge, cause the old one was in a terrible state for a very long time. I am pleased!” she said, according to the release.
A similar sentiment was shared by Mahadeo Shivpersaud, another resident of the area.
Awad Williams who has been resident in the community for over 63 years, related the terrible condition of the old bridge and thanked the government and the Force for the work done.
