Heavy rains delay Tiger Creek bridge rehab

– new deadline set for December 16

Weeks after the Tiger Creek bridge collapsed in Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight), works have been moving apace, although the contractor has been hampered by torrential rains.

The Ministry of Public Work’s Regional Engineer with responsibility for Region Eight, Mr. Wendell St. Pierre, said the contractor has made progress since the bridge’s collapse on November 3.

In a written statement to DPI, the engineer stated the Mahdia abutment (the points where the reconstructed bridge would meet) is complete.

“The second revetment is still to be done, followed by the main beams and decking,” Mr. Pierre said.

With a new deadline of December 16, 2020, for the reconstruction of the bridge, he said the public has been properly advised on the alternative route available to them from the Kanawaruk Road into Eagle Mountain Road, then into Mahdia.

A machine would assist motorists along a bypass road that extends over a hill, near the reconstruction works, he explained.

Motorists have said this process is frustrating as they have to wait for long periods to be taken along the bypass road that is also in a derelict condition due to the rains.

As such, Mr. St. Pierre is imploring commuters to use the original alternative route to reach Mahdia. The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission is responsible for effecting the reconstruction works while the Ministry of Public Works provides technical assistance on the project.