The new four-lane Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) is undergoing load testing as final checks begin before it opens to the public.
The Ministry of Public Works said five heavy-laden trucks are being driven onto the 220-metre pre-stressed concrete structure. Engineers are monitoring the bridge’s safety, structural integrity and long-term durability.
The test is among the last steps before commissioning.
Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill has said the bridge will be officially opened no later than October 5, the anniversary of the opening of the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali confirmed the timeline last week while addressing the Guyanese diaspora in New York.
The toll-free crossing will replace the single-lane bridge that has long been a bottleneck for Region Ten commuters. That bridge was built by the Demerara Bauxite Company in 1966-1967 with a single-lane railway track, originally to move bauxite from the West Bank mines to the processing plant on the East Bank.
The US$35 million bridge is being built by China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co Ltd. It mirrors the design of the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. It will have four vehicular lanes and two pedestrian walkways, with clear passage for hopper barges beneath.
Roundabouts on both sides will link it to the Linden-Mabura Road and the wider highway network, and the connecting roads are being expanded to four lanes. This places the bridge on the main road corridor connecting the coast with the hinterland and Brazil. (Department of Public Information)
