Last Sunday’s partial collapse of the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge walkway has reportedly left at least two persons injured. As concerned citizens await answers on the way forward, the Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, and the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) appear locked in trading blame.
The PM, in response to the incident, pointed to years of reported neglect by the LM&TC as the root cause of the incident. He was quoted by the State-own Guyana Chronicle as describing the incident as a “terrifying reminder” of the failures faced by residents of Linden.
Guyana Standard understands that following the collapse of a section of the structure, a woman and child were left hanging on the side of the bridge before being rescued.
“My thoughts and prayers are with those injured, and I extend best wishes for their full recovery,” the Prime Minister said in a statement. However, he expressed concern over reports that Mayor Sharma Solomon had sought to shift blame onto the Government by linking the collapse to the removal of bridge tolls.
According to Phillips, the LM&TC has long held legal responsibility for the oversight and maintenance of the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge under the Bridge Act. He noted that tolls were collected up until July 31, 2025, and therefore, funds were available for regular inspections, lighting, safety upgrades, and structural upkeep.
“The question is not whether funds were available, but whether they were used for their intended purpose,” Phillips stressed, suggesting that an independent audit of revenues collected between August 2020 and July 2025 would likely reveal “a pattern of negligence, poor prioritisation, and misuse of funds,” the Chronicle, on Wednesday, reported the PM as saying.
However, the LM&TC is claiming that it is the government which bears the responsibility for maintaining the structure.
The Council noted that on October 9, 2014, the PPPC government approved an increase in the toll for the Wismar Mackenzie Bridge, and that this decision included an announcement that a share of the revenue collected would be distributed among the Linden Mayor and Town Council, and NICIL, the entity responsible for the bridge’s upkeep. This order was officially gazetted, clearly stipulating a revenue split, and has been in effect since that time.
The council said that the maintenance of the bridge was historically managed by LINMINE, which is now under NICIL and operated by the government.
“The Town Council has no responsibility for the operational or maintenance aspects of the bridge…The assertion that the Council was responsible for maintaining the bridge is incorrect. Even with the revenue-sharing arrangement, minor repairs were consistently carried out by LINMINE, while major repairs were funded through the Ministry of Works via yearly budget allocations,” the council pointed out.
To the Minister, the LM&TC said, “We urge the Prime Minister to verify facts before making public statements that may impact the reputation and operational capacity of the Linden Town Council. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.
The Council also expressed sincere concern for the persons injured as a result of the recent damage to the bridge and extended its wishes for a complete and swift recovery.
