Emergency works on a sinkhole along a bridge at Den Heuvel, East Bank Demerara, have started and residents and drivers say they applaud the timely intervention.
A small sinkhole had developed on the western side of the bridge on the Den Heuvel Public Road months ago and had significantly increased in size, posing a hazard for drivers travelling north and south along the main road.
When Stabroek News visited the site yesterday, a section of the western side of the road was closed off as heavy machinery operated. Two flagmen were at opposite ends of the construction area and were monitoring and directing the flow of traffic.
Residents related to Stabroek News that they were “very happy” that the works finally started since the hole seemed to be “growing every day.”
“We been watching it every day and see how it growing every day. Like, we don’t even know how it end up so big. One day, it was a little small hole and the next day it so big that a whole big truck tyre could fit inside. We just glad that we didn’t had to protest or anything or they had to be any accident for them to come fix it so we thankful for that,” a resident of the area, who identified himself as Ricky, said.
The man related that the hole has caused “its fair share” of accidents and he said the residents are surprised that the issue wasn’t highlighted earlier.
“Even when it was small, small, it use to throw down people ’cause it de deep since then. Them bicycle man who couldn’t see it when they coming down the road used to fall down. Even couple motorcycles fall down but nobody was ever injured bad. They even had big cars and trucks that drop into it and they tyre buss ’way. Is lucky thing nobody ever crash into the bridge,” the man added.
Ricky explained that as the hole continued to grow, the residents tried to fill it with builders’ waste and tyres, and had even placed other large objects inside of it so persons would be aware of it.
“We see how bad it was and how bad it was getting and we didn’t want nobody to get any serious damage, so we full it up and just waited until one of them big boys in the government notice and fix it,” the man said.
The works are being carried out by Shereaz Bacchus General Contractor and are expected to be finished within two weeks.
