The idea of a new Demerara Harbour Bridge has residents of La Grange, West Bank Demerara, thrilled about the development and the positive impact expected especially that of less traffic. The bridge is to start at Nandy Park on the East Bank and terminate at La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara. Stabroek News recently spoke with residents of the community and for some, there are more questions than answers.
“The first thing I actually think when I hear the bridge was coming in La Grange was ‘Where in La Grange?’ I was coming from a funeral on [Monday] night and while I was driving, I began to look around, because I grow up in La Grange and considering the width of the road and the amount of traffic that the harbour bridge carries in the morning, I don’t think La Grange would be able to facilitate [this project] in this public road area…” began Devon Sobers.
Sobers, a computer technician and owner of Ability Inspired International (AII) which provides visa application services and printing services, said that at the time he was thinking of this, he brought it to his brother’s attention who happened to be sitting in the car at the time. His brother opined that the bridge will likely be positioned in the vicinity of where he lives along the public road, but Sobers couldn’t see how it was possible.
The businessman also discussed the new bridge with his aunt who pointed out to him that the fly-over bridge would be so high that it was unlikely that the end of the bridge would be along the public road in La Grange and more likely would descend further into La Grange.
“When she said that to me, I said ‘Well, now we talking’. And, to do that, they’ll need to construct another road. My aunt was telling me is only four lanes they building and I was saying ‘Four lanes, ain’t mek sense’. We need to cater for an increase of transportation in the future. Even if you starting with a four-lane bridge, leave leverage for more lanes. I was also thinking that right where the Demerara Harbour Bridge is, they can create two lanes on both sides then when the old bridge can’t function anymore, you break that and you drop the two more in there and you leave leverage for later. When I say leverage, is like when you building a house and you want to build an upper level but you don’t have money, so you leave leverage by building columns to go up later. So just like that, if you don’t have all the money now, do what you can do but put in the extra foundation or steel to leave leverage to keep adding on lanes when you’re ready to do an extension of the bridge. Talking about relocating the current bridge, I think it will be a difficult thing to do, and expensive. Keep it right there and put systems in place to expand it,” advised Sobers.
Sobers who has travelled overseas from time to time, spoke of a bridge he and a friend had driven across on a number of occasions. The bridge had multiple exit ramps that to led various locations which he thought is a great idea to prevent vehicles from all getting off at the same location, thus backing up traffic. “This would prevent too much traffic and we’ll have less road accidents,” Sobers said.
The businessman proffered that Guyana needs to stop thinking small and think like the rising oil nation it is fast becoming. “Now that you have foreigners coming here, you will have some of them that want to rent vehicles. As it regards the toll system, it can be worked out. At every one of these exit ramps, they can have toll booths set up.”
Sobers declared that if the government decided that one of the bridge columns had to be built where his house is situated, he knows he doesn’t have a choice in the matter, adding that in any country, when it comes to development, displacing citizens is not new and persons would need to move as long as the government provides another place of abode for them.
As businessman trying to foresee what this project will do for his business, Sobers doesn’t believe it will be impacted one way or the other.
Frustrating
“A four lane road will be really good,” said Abdul Azeez, the owner of the Double Z Supermarket in La Grange. As a driver, Azeez shared that the current harbour bridge situation can be frustrating. “I love that the bridge will not be retracting so we don’t have to worry about traffic being backed-up,” he said.
Meanwhile, as it relates to business in the area should the bridge be constructed, Azeez believes that the project will be a boost to the economy.
Dispatcher at West Site Taxi Service, Krishna Singh, was excited about the project as he feels it will be better for the taxi service drivers. “It’ll be better for our drivers because when is the double lane in the afternoon, it does affect we when we have to cross to take over customers, we find it real hard. Sometimes drivers would be waiting with passengers for more than an hour.” Despite the long waiting time, sometimes as a result of the bridge, passengers are not charged an extra fee.
Just as the dispatcher had finished sharing his thoughts, owner of taxi service, Azad Khan, who was out returned. The service has existed for more than fifteen years and had initially opened at Vreed-en-Hoop but later relocated to La Grange.
“Every morning there is a long traffic on the road that goes past us. The traffic would start about 6:30 in the mornings and go until 7:30/8, sometimes longer. After the police stop the traffic coming from West Bank that would go through the Old Road, now there is only one lane that’s left to get to the bridge. Because of this, all the vehicles would be piled up in front here,” Khan pointed out.
The blocking of the Old Road to traffic now means that there is no longer a smooth flow of traffic heading to Vreed-en-Hoop. “First what they used to do, they used to keep the traffic on one hand of the road which goes through the La Grange Old Road to the bridge. Everybody going from the West Bank would take the Old Road but because they block off the Old Road, everybody got to take one road so those who are headed to Vreed-en-Hoop to get the boat get stuck in the traffic,” Khan added.
Asked whether he thinks the four lanes on the bridge would be sufficient for traffic, Khan seemed not quite sure what his response should be and eventually offered “maybe, maybe not.” What he did advise however is that a priority lane be specially constructed for the ambulance and other emergency services.
In speaking of the location of the exit of the bridge in the community, Khan noted that indeed the bridge could stop at the public road there and does not necessarily have to go all the way to the back of the community. He posited that if the bridge incorporates a spiral design, then that would prevent a steep exit should it end at La Grange Public Road.
Owner of a small grocery business, Janice Tenpow, grew up here in La Grange and is appreciative of the new idea of development. “In the morning, the cars block up the front of my business,” she bemoaned.
She also thinks that the bridge will exit further back in the village. She made reference to several bridges in New York City and noted she has never seen maintenance being done on it. When it was suggested that maintenance was probably done in the nights while everyone else was sleeping, Tenpow added, “Well maybe, but then again New York is the city that never sleeps.”
Lifespan
The bridge is expected to have a lifespan of fifty years. “Fifty years!” echoed Tenpow. “By time then, I’ll be dead and gone,” the sixty-eight-year-old woman added while chuckling about the thought.
Anuradha Persaud, a young woman currently training at a pharmacy in the area, had her bit to share. “I’ll be honest with you, when I used to go to school especially on Monday mornings, we used to reach late because of the traffic. If you come out of here for 7:30 in the mornings, you’re reaching to school until 8:30. I attended Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary. Having a new bridge will have a great impact on us here,” Persaud said.
Since she lives through Independence Street in La Grange, getting to work poses no challenge when it comes to the morning traffic as she goes on foot.
When the Demerara Harbour Bridge is opened in the mornings during rush hour, it gets even worse, she said.
“I am really excited about the bridge and especially like the idea that we won’t have to deal with the bridge retracting,” she concluded.
Ravin Liliah was in his mechanic shop with tools at hand about to get busy again with work. “I feel great about it. I just hope if the bridge pass over my house, it is strong enough and won’t fall,” he joked.
He too mentioned the traffic jams in the area and the fact that it can get crazy especially in the mornings.
“This bridge would boost the economy and will be better for tourism also,” Liliah stated optimistically.
He disclosed that his business has been around for more than twenty years. It has become the norm, he said, that whenever they want to test drive vehicles they are finished working on and the traffic jam is on, they’d have to put that on hold until the road is clear.
Next door at a tyre shop and wash bay, nothing stirred. Two employees and the owner of the shop, Brian Adams, looked out as vehicles went by.
While Adams liked the idea of the new harbour bridge, he is certain that the bridge will have a tolling station. “Why we got to pay toll? Why Guyana must pay toll when we have oil money? You know over at Suriname, at the bridge them there, the people don’t have to pay none toll?”
Adams hadn’t much else to say. With regard to the relocation of the current Demerara Harbour Bridge, he believes it should stay put and continuing functioning as is.
Deodat Deokinandan, well-known as ‘Beard Man’ hails from Canal Number One but he is considered to be one of the most diversified businessmen on the West Bank of Demerara. Deokinandan owns the GuyOil Gas Station located at La Grange along with the lumberyard there. His wife owns the D&L Taxi Service at an adjoining location. He also owns a guest house and bar at Bagotville along with another gas station in the Nismes community situated obliquely opposite where Gafoors is located, a citrus farm in Canal Number One, and a cattle farm at Belle Vue. According to the man he was at one time considered one of the largest citrus farmers in the Caribbean as told to him by NAREI having had eighty-nine thousand citrus plants on his farm. The 450-acre farm has since been divided among his children. He intends on turning it into a coconut farm. The sixty-year-old currently has sixty-eight employees on his payroll.
“Is now I’m hearing how high they’ll make the bridge but I heard already that it will not be a retraction bridge which is good because when the bridge close off, it does be a lot of congestion in Region Three,” said Deokinandan.
Owing to the traffic at the bridge, whenever Deokinandan has to transact business in Georgetown, he leaves extra early in the morning at 6am just to avoid the congestion at the bridge, then he goes and waits an hour and a half until the store or the bank opens. He says it’s too fatiguing for him to navigate the lines at the harbour bridge during rush hour.
The investor in him eagerly anticipates the construction of the bridge as he believes it will be good for business.
The former taxi driver, and beekeeper back in the 1980s shared how he worked his way up in life and hopes that the private sector would invite him to one of their meetings where they talk about other developments in Guyana. “I am a proud Guyanese and I only hope that the president will look at us as Guyanese and give us opportunities, same as the foreign investors. We’d like an equal playing field. We with our money can do so many things here. But, coming back to the bridge, the bridge is very good for me as a businessman, and good for the whole region three and I’m very thankful for that,” the businessman declared.
