Page 7 - HOH

a7
local Friday 22 July 2022

Bridge on Green Corridor closed for maintenance work

During a press conference avoid disrupting traffic se-
Wednesday morning, the verely.
Department of Public Works The maintenance work will
(DOW) announced that begin next Monday, July
from next Monday, July 25th, from 9am to 7pm and
25th, the road on the bridge during this time the road
of Green Corridor will be will be closed, from the
closed for maintenance. roundabout in Kibaima, the
Director of DOW, Mr. Mar- roundabout at the Drive-
lonm Maduro, together with In, to the roundabout at
representatives of Arubus Pos Chikito. The work will
and Caribbean Infrastruc- be done on the top of the
ture Company (CIC) gave bridge, which will consist of
information regarding the sandblast, removal of rust,
upcoming work. and painting of the bridge.
“These are preventative
Croes says that the main- measures to avoid deterio-
tenance work is relatively ration”, Croes indicated.
large, and according to a Regarding the redirection Police Force, Fire Depart- and where they need to initial idea was to close
contract, the maintenance of traffic, he explains that ment and Ambulance, take the bus. the bridge partially, but if
work is responsibility of the the old bridge will be used, that in case they need to this was done, the hours to
contractor for the dura- known as the TeleAruba use the bridge, there will be Daou called on other au- work will also be more lim-
tion of the valid contract. bridge. Also traffic from San close communication with tomobilists, specially truck ited and the execution of
Maintenance of the bridge Nicolas to Santa Cruz and the contractor in order to and bus drivers, to be more the work will take around
is something routine that vice versa can make use of give them access so they careful on the small bridge, four weeks. Seeing as they
needs to take place, and Mondi Fierno, Franse Pas. can use the bridge even as seeing as it is more danger- will completely close the
this is the first time that such the maintenance is being ous as it has limited visibility. bridge because of security
an extensive work will be From 7pm to 9am the done. “We understand that there reasons, the contractor to-
carried out. bridge will be partially will be people there to indi- gether with CIC came to
open. The heavy equip- Sannin Daou, spokesperson cate who has preference. an agreement to complete
To carry out this work, Croes ment will remain on the for Arubus, informed the So from our side, we want the work in two weeks.
mentioned that there are bridge, and the two outer community and everyone to pay more attention to
various challenges that lanes on the bridge will who uses the services of automobilist safety, truck He commented that the
must be confronted. He be accessible for traffic to Arubus, that the normal bus drivers please be aware bridge is in good condition
explains that he sat to- pass normally during these route will be redirected. that there will be people and the works are taking
gether with all stakeholders hours. At the roundabout in Pos standing there to indicate place simply because a
– which is DTI (Technical In- Chikito, it will pass on the who has preference, in or- bridge with a metal struc-
spection Department), KPA Croes indicated that the inside and go back out at der to avoid accidents”, he ture needs preventative
(Police Force) and Ambu- work will last for two weeks. the roundabout in Drive-In, added. maintenance regularly,
lance, because in order for He also said that mainte- and from there it will fol- and regarding the estab-
the maintenance work to nance work like this will low the usual route. These Lysander Wernet, project lished plan, this has to be
take place, they need to be taking place every five changes are specifically coordinator and repre- every five years.
close the entire bridge. years. He explains that the for the bus lines 1, 2 and 3, sentative of CIC, explains
The solution that was cho- first phase is taking place which travel between San that from their side they Wernet asked the commu-
sen will mitigate the risk for this year and will focus on Nicolas and Oranjestad. will have their own work- nity for their understanding
the workers, and will miti- the top part of the bridge. ers available to help direct while the necessary works
gate the risk for traffic which Next year it will focus on He commented that when traffic in coordination with are being carried out. “We
passes on the bridge. For the bottom, and every five the bridge opens again, the Police Force. Already ask for the understanding
the Government of Aruba years they will do this type from 7pm onwards the they reached some agree- of the community because
and DOW, the goal was to of maintenance. busses will pass the normal ments to direct the traffic these works are essential for
have this big work of main- route on the big bridge when necessary, particu- the durability of the bridge.
tenance take place during The director of DOW also again. He emphasizes that larly on the small bridge, In a short time, two weeks,
the big summer vacation, mentioned that they everyone who uses the bus the TeleAruba bridge. we will do everthing that’s
seeing as the entire road reached an agreement service must be aware of possible to complete the
must be closed, in order to with emergency services, the change in the route Wernet indicated that the work”, he said.q