Commuters on the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara will today and possibly tomorrow have to make their way to Region 4 via boat service as the Demerara Harbour Bridge is under emergency closure after a tug slammed into it around 1 am today.
General Manager of the DHB, Ralston Adams told Stabroek News this morning that the incident occurred around 12:50 am.
“A tug and barge was coming northbound and drifted into the 13th span. It then hit the 16th span and so all the buoys between 13 and 18 are out,” he explained.
Adams said that from preliminary assessments, four spans are confirmed damaged as his engineering and other teams continue to assess the situation. The bridge, he said, is “out of alignment”.
He informed that a car which was crossing the bridge at the said time was stuck because the deck plate at span 13 shifted but there was no physical injury to its occupants. The vehicle has since been moved.
The DHB will hold a press conference at noon today to provide an update on developments.
The closure will likely spark severe chaos for West Demerara on the first day of the new school year.
The Guyana Post Office Corporation this morning advised all customers on the West Bank and West Coast of the Demerara that there will be a delay in pension payments due to the closure of the bridge.
