Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, yesterday said that engineers have inspected the bridge at Robb Street and Avenue of Republic and have confirmed that the approach to the structure has begun sinking.
Edghill told Stabroek News on Thursday evening that engineers had inspected the bridge, and he clarified that the actual bridge was not sinking, but rather, the approach to the bridge. This, he added, is as a result of the heavy-duty container trucks that traverse the bridge daily.
As it relates to the cost of the rehabilitation, Edghill explained that contracts have a defects liability period which is approximately six months after construction is completed. Contractors are therefore responsible for rehabilitation if it is within that period and therefore, the ministry would not be responsible for that work.
“Once it is within that period, the contractor will have to fix it and if it not then it will be the ministry. So far, I think it is within that period so the contractor will have to fix it. The engineers are checking the records.”
Just months after reconstruction works on the bridge at Robb Street and Avenue of the Republic was executed, the eastern approach began sinking. Cracks are visible on several parts of the bridge.
In November 2023, this newspaper reported that the bridge was sinking. The Ministry of Public Works subsequently responded and repairs were undertaken by Pantheon Construction.
