Work on the Liliendaal Bridge along the Railway Embankment is nearing completion and Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson has said that it should be finished before Independence Day.
Minister Patterson told Stabroek News last night via telephone that the contractor was working to meet the new deadline which was set for May 22. This newspaper had reported that the initial completion time frame was slated for July.
He explained that to date approximately 70-75% of work is completed and stressed further that all the piling as well as the cross beams have been completed. It is expected that during the course of this week the contractor would begin to install the pre-fabricated concrete decks.
Twenty-eight concrete piles had planted to support the columns and additional infrastructure. The piles descend to a depth of 120 feet.
Residents and pedestrians of surrounding areas have already begun to use the newly constructed infrastructure, having created a footpath with the use old steel sheets from the previous bridge.
In March, the bridge was closed to the public without the public being fully aware of the closure. A day after the closure, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said in a release said the sudden closure was made because emergency works were required. Two teams of engineers from the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the ministry had recommended the bridge be closed for urgent work to be under taken.
Inspections by the DHB showed that one of the panel systems on the northern rail of bridge demonstrated signs of imminent failure. In particular, one of the panels in the system had been detached, rendering the system structurally unstable.
Additionally, a section of the northern carriageway of the bridge also experienced serviceability failure demonstrated by excessive deflection.
A further inspection was subsequently carried out by the ministry’s team and the engineers concurred with the initial assessment. While work had been slated to commence on the bridge on March 6, it was pushed forward due to the urgency. The rehabilitation of the bridge is said to cost $89 million.
