Emergency works on the 42 Miles Mabura Road have been completed, enabling the free flow of vehicular traffic once again along the Linden to Lethem trail.
Access to several parts of the hinterland had been cut off just over a week ago after culverts along the trail were washed away by water from a stream that overflowed as a result of torrential rains.
By yesterday, the contractor, Mekdeci Mining Company, had completed the installation of the five large corrugated plastic tubes to facilitate effective drainage and the necessary back fill work.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill yesterday afternoon confirmed that the road has been completely reopened to traffic. At the time, he told Stabroek News that the contractor was in the final stages of compacting the materials that were used to fill the washed away section of the road.
During the construction, a temporary road was built to accommodate light traffic and Stabroek News learnt that cofferdams had to be built to facilitate the reinstallation of the five tubes that function as culverts.
A heavy downpour had resulted in approximately 30 feet of road being washed away, inconveniencing scores of travellers between Linden and Lethem. A statement by the Ministry of Public Works had explained that the high volume and pressure of the water overwhelmed the multiple lower level culverts and began overtopping the roadway, eventually taking the entire section with it.
The ministry informed that four contractors were engaged for provision of emergency works and it opted to go with Mekdeci Mining Company to replace the culverts.
In a bid to get stranded vehicles across the 42 Miles stream, individuals constructed a makeshift raft to transport minibuses and other lightweight vehicles. In a video seen by this newspaper and posted on social media, upon loading the vehicle on to the raft, several men guided the raft across the stream and off-loaded the vehicle. Some stranded persons began crossing via boats.
