A flash flood may have played a major role in the collapse of a section of the St Ignatius Bridge, Region 9 which gave way under the weight of heavy equipment and the company to which the equipment belongs is likely to bear at least part of the cost of repairs.
On Wednesday evening, a heavy-duty truck which was fetching an excavator broke a section of the bridge as it was making its way to Lethem. According to the Ministry of Public Works, the truck, which was part of a two-truck caravan, damaged a 30-metre section of the bridge.
Several concrete beams which supported the bridge were also reportedly damaged in the incident, which saw the vehicle’s passengers escaping uninjured.
Works Minister Robeson Benn, along with Government Consulting Engineer Walter Willis paid a visit to the collapsed bridge yesterday. The team also comprised hinterland engineers Naeem Mohamed and Lawrence Mentis.
Stabroek News understands that the bridge’s collapse was quite likely due, at least in part, to significant erosion caused by a flash flood, which occurred last week.
A source yesterday said that the soil around the base of one of the bridge’s piers had been significantly eroded by the flash flood.
It was stated that this phenomenon significantly weakened the structure and rendered it incapable of supporting the heavy-duty equipment which usually traversed the bridge without a problem.
A resident of the area, Mr Beckles, had also suggested that the recent flooding seen in the community may have led to the collapse of a section of the bridge. Beckles, on Thursday, said that during a recent visit to the bridge he noticed that a part of the structure’s foundation had been exposed. He said the flooding had significantly eroded the banks of the Moco-Moco Creek, as well as the bed of the creek, in which the bridge’s foundation was embedded.
60 years
Region 9 Chairman Wilson Lorentino also seemed convinced that the recent flooding might have had a part to play in the accident. Lorentino, who remained in Georgetown up to last evening in anticipation of a meeting with Local Government officials, said the flooding which occurred last week was unlike anything he had seen in 60 years. He said the water rose to unprecedented heights with intense force, and then was gone in a matter of hours.
He also mentioned that several farmers who cultivate cassava along the mountains in the area saw their produce washed away.
Lorentino said the area has always experienced flooding, which had prompted regional officials to take actions they thought were sufficient. The Regional Chairman said a large culvert as well as several dams had been constructed to curb the impact of the water on the base of the structure. He said those precautionary measures had always held up to flooding until recently.
Stabroek News understands that since its initial construction in 2008, the bridge has comfortably supported the weight of hundreds of heavy-duty vehicles and other equipment traversing the area.
In the light of Wednesday’s unfortunate event, Lorentino said, it is obvious that additional culverts may have to be constructed to better deal with future instances of such intense flooding.
Impending repairs
Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud said he believed the owner of the vehicle which fell through the bridge, V Dalip Enterprise, will definitely share or bear the entire cost of impending repairs.
As it relates to the bridge’s construction cost, Persaud said he had asked Collin Croal, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary to request that information from the regional administrators. Croal is to also request the cost incurred for repairs made to the bridge some time last year.
He also said that general information on the bridge has been requested. He said that though there have been initial assumptions as to why the bridge failed to support the weight of the truck and excavator on Wednesday, a final pronouncement cannot be made until all the necessary information has been compiled and considered.
Apart from these factors, there have also been concerns that the bridge may have collapsed because the truck and its load were over the prescribed weight limit.
Persaud, while acknowledging that there were indeed weight limitations on all bridges, including the St Ignatius Bridge, could not say if these limitations were enforced.
On Thursday, Carl Parker, a Region 9 Councillor, had said that “the non-enforcement of weight limits on the bridges in the area has long been an issue,” and could very well be one of the factors which led to the unfortunate event.
Parker had said that the remote nature of these bridges has led to a situation where it is virtually impossible for the regional administrators to enforce weight limit restrictions.
Beckles had also said that when he visited the bridge there was no sign or notice of any kind detailing a weight limit.
In addition to these concerns, there may have been prior indications that the bridge’s stability had been compromised. Lorentino had told Stabroek News on Thursday that he was informed by the Chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Lethem Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) that the bridge was unstable.
A driver attached to the IMC had reportedly crossed the bridge before 18:00 hrs on Wednesday and noticed that it was “shaking”, Lorentino said. The observation was conveyed to the IMC Chairman who suggested to him that a sign be placed at the bridge to warn unwary crossers.
However, heavy rainfall prevented regional officials from taking immediate action. Instead, a decision was taken to erect the notice on Thursday morning, by which time it was too late.
Meanwhile, despite the damaged bridge, Works Ministry officials yesterday explained that “to date the flow of traffic has not been hampered since vehicles and pedestrians traverse the Moco-Moco Creek Bridge to gain access into St Ignatius Village and South Rupununi.”
This bridge however, is only accessible by light vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Permanent bars attached to the bridge prevent large trucks and other heavy duty traffic from passing.
