Control system failure at Berbice Bridge caused June 12 delay – Management

Jun 19, 2011 News

A delay on June 12 at the Berbice Bridge which caused delays with travellers is being blamed on problems with the control system which open and closes the facility, management says.

The lines of vehicles on June 12 after the Berbice Bridge suffered problems.

Almost a week after the incident, the Berbice Bridge Company apologized  to the affected motorists, passengers and members of the public for the delay.
“This was due mainly to the unforeseen problem encountered on the control system while opening and closing the bridge on the said day. Our engineer and technicians worked assiduously to rectify the problem in the shortest possible time.
“Problems of this nature require tedious checks of the entire system which can be time consuming.”
The company explained that the bridge normally closes daily for 90 minutes but because of the problem encountered there was a delay of two hours.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience resulting from this delay and wish to assure the general public and all who use the Berbice Bridge that every effort is made to maintain our operations in a safe and efficient manner.”
Kaieteur News had reported that hundreds of persons and vehicles were stranded for more than four hours on both sides of the Berbice River when the bridge developed mechanical problems.
The bridge reportedly had its routine closure to road traffic at 12:10 hrs, but upon trying to close the opening span to allow for the flow of traffic at 13:40 hrs, there was a failure. Angry motorists, passengers and members of the public started to build up at D’Edward on the west, and Crab Island on the eastern side.
Many persons were going to the airport and feared that they would miss their scheduled flights. Finally, at about 15:55 hrs the bridge reopened to traffic.
Many persons said that the delay cost them lots of money.