Berbice: The management of the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BCCI), in a press release, said its decision to restrict access through the high span at the bridge is to prevent serious injuries to persons.
This press release by the bridge company came as a result of the reaction to its recent decision to ban laden vessels that cross under the high span. The BBCI said every major bridge of this nature in the world has regulations defining the passage of vessels, and emphasised that safety cannot be compromised in any way.
“Every effort must be made to prevent loss of lives and injuries to those who use the bridge and damage to property.”
The media had reported earlier this week that according to a number of boat operators, about three weeks ago, the bridge’s management imposed an order that laden vessels, which cross under the high span free of cost, must desist from doing so.
Instead, they must now cross whenever there is a retraction. And there is a fee attached. The newspaper said vessels with foreign registration are charged $55,000 for in-bound pass and another $55,000 for out-bound. Locally registered vessels pay a fee of $28,000 for a one-way pass.
The BCCI said after the opening of the bridge in December 2008, most small vessels, that is, tugs and barges, and some vessels with shaped hulls, would transit under the high span whether north or south bound.
Large vessels would book to transit through the retractor opening whether north or south bound. However, there were a series of incidents that resulted in vessels colliding with the bridge causing damages, some of which were major to the bridge’s sub and super structure. There were also incidents in which vessels encountered problems and drifted dangerously close to the bridge.
According to BBCI, as recently as last week, the M V Sandaka started drifting dangerously close to the bridge, and the relevant authorities had to be written to about this matter. The BBCI also noted that some of the vessels using the river were "unseaworthy" with unlicensed pilots and sailors. Due to these incidents, the insurance cost to the bridge has increased significantly.
“As a result, the Berbice River Bridge Regulations were enacted in 2009 to regulate the movement of vessels within the bridge zone. With the advent of these regulations, in order to maximise safety for bridge traffic and river traffic, all vessels had to book to transit through the retractor opening. There are two exceptions: the bauxite companies, which had spent millions of U.S. dollars to modify their fleet of vessels so that they can pass under the high span from the mines to the trans-shipment basin and vice versa. Secondly, BBCI said in view of the importance of sugar to the national economy, it was decided that unladen sugar vessels could pass under the high span when southbound, provided the mast(s) were below a certain height. They would however have to pass through the retractor opening when laden and northbound. All vessels with their mast(s) above a certain height must pass through the retractor opening.
According to the company, in the latter part of 2011 and during the first quarter of 2012, some sugar vessels developed mechanical problems. On one occasion, the propeller of one of the vessels fell off. The construction of these vessels, namely those with shaped hull and single propeller propulsion, increases the risk of collision with the bridge when they are fully laden, and could cause significant damage to the cluster piles, pontoons, anchors, panels and transoms etc, thereby rendering the bridge unfit for its purpose.
Flat bottom vessels, such as those operated by Oldendorff, have more stability and manoeuvrability in the water than shaped hull vessels such as those transporting sugar. Oldendorff vessels have adequate power and duplication in their navigational systems that other vessels do not have.
Moreover, should something go wrong while approaching the high span, Oldendorff’s vessels can deploy mitigation measures and their standby system can become operative. BBCI’s approach to vessels using the river is wholly governed by the government approved bridge regulations made under the “The Berbice River Bridge Act (Act Number Three of 2006)” as enacted on November 11, 2009, and its responsibility to ensure the complete safety of the travelling public, both on the river and on the bridge.
