General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams today described the year 2010 as a challenging but highly productive one given that in excess of $395M in revenue has been collected.
This, Adams told the Government Information Agency, reflects an eight percent hike from 2009.
There was an 8.7 percent rise in traffic crossing the bridge in a westerly direction when compared to 2009. According to Adams there has been an increase of in excess of 560 vehicles per day across the bridge.
To deal with the higher traffic a double lane exercise was put in place where traffic in the westerly direction is restricted to allow for two lanes of traffic from the western end.
In addition he stated that contracts for capital works for the bridge this year amounting to $664.1M were signed and are ongoing.
Included in the capital works, he told GINA, are the servicing of 29 pontoons, fabrication of 30 distribution beams and 155 deck plates, 23 transoms, 45 buoys and the replacement of 2 hydraulic ramps.
Despite this increase in revenue, Adams said that the amount is inadequate for the maintenance of the bridge. In this regard for 2011 “we are asking for in excess of $900M to continue our rehabilitation works,” he told GINA.
Included in the projections for the bridge in 2011 is the replacement of power cables to the retractor span.
In relation to security a close circuit television system has been installed at the bridge from which all activities on the eastern side of the bridge can be monitored.
This, the General Manager disclosed will be extended to the western side of the bridge in the new year. The system is linked to the Brickdam Police Station where all the recorded information can be accessed by the police.
