Inadequate $$ had been budgeted for repairs

A Rupununi man died on Thursday after falling through the incomplete decking of the Moco-Moco Creek Bridge at Lethem, which had been undergoing rehabilitation work.

The repairs had been halted because insufficient money had been budgeted. It was the latest in a string of infrastructural calamities across the country.

Dead is Allan David-James called ‘Bushman’ of St. Ignatius Village, Central Rupununi. The man died on Thursday after falling through the incomplete decking, hitting his head on an exposed bolt and then plunging into the creek. A resident, who lives close to the bridge, told Stabroek News that the incident occurred at about 4:45 pm that day.

The resident said that David-James was pushing his bicycle across the planking when he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head in the process. It is believed that the man was intoxicated at the time. The creek was high at the time and a youth heard the splash as the man fell. The youth ran to the nearby houses and raised an alarm. A policeman and other residents responded and after searching for about half an hour, the body was located.

Attempts were made to revive David-James but this proved futile. He leaves to mourn his mother, Rosie James, with whom he lived. In the wake of the tragedy, residents are calling for the repairs on the structure to be quickly completed.
But the bridge has been in its current state for about a month now, since repairs were halted in the first week in July after the contractor, a local resident, ran out of material.  The bridge is the major structure that links Lethem to St. Ignatius and consequently the South Rupununi.

Reports out of the border community state that the bridge, which was built several years ago had begun to deteriorate and an assessment was undertaken by an engineer. However, according to residents, the estimate included the reuse of wood from the deteriorating bridge and only a limited amount of “fresh” wood was ordered.

The project was tendered out and work began in the third week in June. However, when the project was only half completed, the amount of wood was found to be insufficient and work was halted. It was also found that the wood from the old structure was unusable. No work has been done since and planks were laid across the incomplete part to allow residents to traverse between the communities.

In the meantime, vehicles heading to the South Rupununi have resorted to using the old trail which is several miles longer and where during heavy flooding, water rises above the bridge at that location.
The current state of the Moco-Moco Bridge and the Thursday incident has left residents of the border community upset. One resident told this newspaper that persons in the community have questioned how such a mistake regarding the amount of materials to be used for the project could have been made. “I can’t see how the engineer underestimated something like that”, he declared. Another resident described it as “total incompetence”.

Stabroek News was told that other persons and even animals that the people were leading have fallen through the incomplete decking but fortunately there were no fatalities. David-James was known to be able to swim and residents opined that had he not hit his head, he would have survived. They said that at the time that he fell through the decking, though the water level in the creek was high, it was still and there was practically no current. Concern has been expressed as to what would happen when the new school term starts as many children traverse the bridge daily to get to the only secondary school in the district, the St. Ignatius Secondary School.

This newspaper was told that the Regional Administration is awaiting money so as to be able to complete the works on the bridge. However, due to the rainy reason similar works have been halted across the district.
The Moco-Moco Bridge had been built several years ago by Chinese contractors, who had constructed the now defunct Moco-Moco Hydroelectricity plant. The plant was disabled by a landslide.

This bridge is not the only one in the sprawling Region Nine (Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo) district that has encountered problems. Several weeks ago the newly constructed $16M Rupununi River Bridge at Katoonarib caved in under the weight of an excavator. It has since been closed and is not expected to undergo repairs until next month or October.