Two people are nursing injuries after a section of the wooden decking on the southern side of the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge collapsed at approximately 18:30 hrs on Sunday evening.
The injured persons, who were rescued by public-spirited citizens, were reportedly riding their e-bikes on the section designated for pedestrians and cyclists when the incident occurred.
In one case, the driver of a motorcycle could be seen dangling off the bridge during the rescue exercise.
Linden Mayor Sharma Solomon, who visited the scene, described the situation as very dangerous and unfortunate.
“The collapse of this bridge is not something to be taken lightly. At this moment we got tonnes and tonnes of traffic passing through with weight. Rotted materials fell apart,” he said.
The bridge was recently declared toll-free following a government announcement which saw bridges across the country benefiting.
Solomon noted that the Linden Mayor and Town Council remains a managing stakeholder.
In the past, the decades-old bridge was subjected to constant repairs; however, Solomon pointed out that it is currently not being maintained.
He added that the government is yet to engage the Council on the way forward following the toll-free announcement.
“The Council doesn’t know what will happen with 77 million dollars which has now been taken away from the Council coffers,” Solomon said.
According to the Mayor, a recent inspection and evaluation of the bridge revealed several issues.
The Mayor also indicated that the Council will engage the Ministry of Public Works on Monday regarding the bridge’s maintenance.
“We are concerned with not only the collapse, but the continued danger that this bridge pose to Lindeners and to the general public,” the Mayor noted.
The government is currently constructing a new four-lane Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge in the vicinity of the existing one.
Following Sunday’s incident, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that traffic was flowing again along the bridge.
