The Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation has recorded a decline in total income for the year 2015. This information was disclosed by the bridge’s General Manager Rawlston Adams during his presentation at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s year-end press conference on Thursday last.
In 2014, the bridge received the sum of $567,624,557 for marine toll, vehicular toll, contractual works and other revenue, while in 2015, the bridge received the sum of $483,041,029. This represents a $84,583,528 dip in revenue received.
According to Adams, the reduction was as a result of the number of repairs done on the bridge during the year 2015. These repairs were done under the $90M capital programme by government. A GINA report said the repairs included fabrication of connecting posts at the sum of $33,150,000, rehabilitation of cluster piles at a total cost of $49,950,000 and the supply of wire ropes costing $6,900,000.
Other works were done on the bridge over the year. These included the fabrication of buoys, installation of transoms, and data transmission link. The latter was set up to help curb the number of suicide committed and attempted on the bridge. Adams said this led to the CCTV cameras being linked to the police headquarters.
The reason for the reduction in total income received can be seen in the number of replacements done in 2015 in comparison to 2014.
Total expenditure for the year 2015, up to November 30, amounted to $679,549,425.
Further, during the calendar year of 2015, the asphalt plant executed a number of major projects. These projects include maintenance of the DM 50 asphalt plant – this catered for the changing of conveyor belts and rollers, dryer bowel chain and sprocket, mixer fan, exhaust and blower fans, transmission tyres, rollers, supports and bearings, flights, gear boxes, idlers; and the service of all AC and DC motor, fuel pump and replaced electrical cables. Additionally, two new generators were acquired, as well as a new mobile plant at a cost of $21.5M, while security lamps and cameras were installed.
Adams noted that for the year 2016, the DHB hopes to accomplish a number of projects. This entails the servicing of pontoons, supply of sheaves and shackles, fabrication of connecting posts, fabrication of buoys, supply of wire ropes, and the rehabilitatio
n of hydraulic system of the retractor span.
Just too costly to maintain at a dependable and safe level.Half a billion dollars plus, per annum, and growing.Replace with a 75 year, suspension , or other type of modern bridge.The tolls collected should more than pay for the cost of the bridge and its maintenance in 50 years.Please no 25 year repayment, with built in profit margin of 20+%.
The sooner the better