The Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC) has raised alarms regarding the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, citing visible signs of defects less than four months after its opening. Issues such as surface depressions, uneven roadway transitions, and other indications of premature distress have emerged, prompting serious concerns about the quality of construction and adherence to engineering standards.
VPAC is urging the Ministry of Public Works to immediately activate the defects liability provisions in the construction contract. These provisions are legally binding safeguards aimed at ensuring that any deficiencies are remedied by the contractor rather than becoming a financial burden on taxpayers.
Given that the bridge accommodates heavy commercial traffic and thousands of daily commuters, the committee emphasizes that these early defects cannot be dismissed as merely cosmetic. They may point to deeper structural or geotechnical issues that need to be addressed promptly.
The project is largely funded through external loans, which will ultimately be repaid by the citizens of Guyana. Consequently, the state has an increased responsibility to enforce strict compliance with contractual obligations. VPAC asserts that if the government insists that all quality assurance standards were met during construction, there should be no objection to independent technical assessments and comprehensive contractor-funded remediation if defects are confirmed.
VPAC calls for:
Immediate inspections of the bridge.
Transparent disclosure of findings to the public.
Timely corrective actions under the defects liability period.
The organization underscores that failing to act on these recommendations would constitute a serious mismanagement of public resources and compromise public safety.
