The highly anticipated new Demerara River Bridge has been declared “safe and ready” for public use after clearing a series of load testing exercises, which showed that the structural integrity of the fixed-high span, cable-stayed bridge exceeded required specifications.
Load testing commenced on September 15 on the western approach of the bridge. The eastern side was tested the following day, and the 50-metre-high span cable-stayed section on September 25. During this process, 20 fully loaded trucks, each weighing 40 tonnes, were utilised to complete eight distinct loading scenarios to ensure that the cables can bear the weight and that all dimensions meet international requirements.
According to a summary report on the test findings, which was seen by INews, “The load test results demonstrate that the New Demerara River Bridge meets the design requirements for stiffness, load-carrying capacity, and cable performance.”
It noted that the results confirmed that the approach sections of the bridge and the main cable-stayed span all exhibited “satisfactory stiffness and adequate reserve load-carrying capacity”.
For the cable-stayed section, the report detailed that the cable force variations were uniform under all loading cases and that the measured values closely matched theoretical predictions, thus confirming that the stay cables exhibited sound structural behaviour and an adequate safety margin.
Given these performance results, it was found that, “The bridge complies with the relevant provisions of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and is confirmed to be safe and ready for opening to public traffic.”
The load testing exercises to determine the structural integrity of the US$262 million new Demerara River Bridge were carried out by an independent specialised team from China that was contracted by the Chinese company that built the bridge – China Railway Construction (International) Limited.
The testing process was also overseen by the technical team from the Ministry of Public Works and the Italy-based supervisory consultant, Politecnica.
Following the completion of the load testing exercises last Thursday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill assured Guyanese that the new bridge was built to last with the highest quality.
“I can say categorically, we have been exceeding expectations on every test… We are proud that we can give the Guyanese people a product that is significant and high quality, and the people of Guyana will just love it,” he stated.
The new bridge across the Demerara River, which is set to be commissioned in a matter of days, consists of four lanes and spans 2.6 kilometres (km), connecting Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara to La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara.
At its highest point, the bridge is 50 metres, which means Handymax vessels can pass comfortably underneath. With a lifespan of 100 years, the bridge is expected to mitigate current traffic woes and congestion.
The new crossing will operate 24/7, toll-free, and accommodate vehicles of all sizes and weights, with a maximum speed limit of 80km per hour.
Its design will also feature the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH), the country’s third-highest national award, which will be installed atop the two towers at the centre of the bridge.
Works commenced on Friday to assemble the “Cacique Crown” fixture onsite. The crown is made from a metal frame with glass around its circumference that will be lit once installed.
Engineer at the Public Works Ministry, who is overseeing the bridge project, Patrick Thompson, indicated to this newspaper on Saturday that the twin towers will be crowned by today.
“So, from tomorrow [Sunday], you will be able to see the crown at the top of the towers,” Thompson stated.
The installation of the crown, which will be completed over the coming days, is the last finishing touch before the bridge is completely ready for opening, providing free and uninterrupted flow of both vehicular and marine traffic.
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