Car plunges off Demerara Harbour Bridge

TIMES INT'L

The retractor span of the Demerara Harbor Bridge has been damaged after a car reportedly careened off the structure on Monday night.
According to reports, the car was proceeding along the structure after which it made a plunge off the retractor span, resulting in damages. While the entire vehicle fell into the water, the driver was saved and taken into custody.
A crew from the DHB management was deployed to assess the situation as these damages would prevent vessels from passing.
When contacted for details surrounding the situation on Tuesday, Managing Director of the DHB, Rawlston Adams told this publication that he was “on the bridge working” and “can’t give an update”.
Last September, a barge and tug slammed into a section of the bridge, to which the owner was slapped with a bill of G$100 million. This would have shifted the spans which connect the structure and caused a shutdown to vehicular traffic.
In the wee hours of that morning, notices were sent out that the structure would be closed for emergency works and the only alternative was to cross the Demerara River via the speedboat service, operating at Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop.
Emergency actions were deployed to remedy the situation but it was hindered by unfavourable tidal conditions for a few hours.
In a few hours, workers managed to install temporary decking and some of the connecting posts.
In total, nine connecting posts were to be changed along with nine anchor chains. All marine transits were to be suspended since the unaligned structure presented unpredictability to the operation of the retractor span.

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