Heavy-laden trucks restricted from ECD Railway Embankment – Min Edghill

Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill has made it clear that heavy-laden trucks are not permitted to traverse along the railway embankment on the East Coast of Demerara to alleviate damage to the thoroughfare. 

He made these remarks Thursday morning while inspecting the recently rehabilitated Strathspey Bridge.  The bridge collapsed after an over-laden truck drove over the deteriorated section.  

Minister Edghill stated, “No trucks should continue to pass the acrow-panel bridges along this embankment. If not, we are going to end up having another failure. This is a new trend where trucks are going through community streets or wherever they think they could drive fast and that is causing damage.”

Within the last several months, the minister pointed out that over six acrow-panel bridges underwent significant rehabilitation works, which were destroyed by over-laden trucks.

He further noted, “It might not be one truck but the continuous flow of heavy-laden trucks where the weight is no longer on the axle but it’s now directly on the road and the structures are causing the damage.”

As part of the US$192.3 million Sheriff to Mahaica four-lane road project, Minister Edghill noted that all the acrow-panel bridges will be removed for new, resilient structures to be constructed.

This project includes the construction of 48 bridges, 22 culverts, and a bridge across the Hope Canal.

“Trucks should not continue to cross these bridges until this project is completed and we put in place the kind of infrastructure that could take the tonnage of trucks that are traversing our roadways,” the public works minister emphasised.