Yorke Valley Bridge one of first infrastructure pieces tested for resilience says Austrie

Officials visited the bridge site on Wednesday. Photo: Oprah Leburin

Deputy Prime Minister Reginald Austrie has said the Yorke Valley Bridge in Layou is one of the first major pieces of infrastructure that has been tested for resilience since it withstood Hurricane Maria which devastated the island last year.

The close to $11-million Bridge, which is nearing completion, is a grant from the People’s Republic of China.

Austrie made the comment during a Cabinet site visit to the bridge, locally known as the Gleau Chaud Bridge, on Wednesday.

“That bridge started in 2016 and was supposed to be completed the same month when Maria hit,” he said. “It withstood Hurricane Maria so it has demonstrated its resilience, it wasn’t even completed yet so we can say that one of the first major pieces of infrastructure that has been tested for resilience is the Yorke Valley Bridge.”

According to Austrie the government appreciates the importance of that bridge not only for the farmers access in the area but also for linking other sections of the island and creating an alternative route.

“It is a demonstration of friendship, it’s another project completed and as we have it now within a week or so the Chinese engineers will test the resilience of the bridge to ensure that everything is done according to specs and very shortly the bridge will be handed over to the people and the government of Dominica,” he stated.

He said both local as well as Chinese engineers are very satisfied with the bridge and has given the assurance that “it can withstand another Maria if it has to, God forbid.”

“We are very satisfied as a government that we got a top quality job, a good finish and we believe that it is a project that will remain,” he noted.

Meantime, Chinese Ambassador to Dominica His Excellency Lu Kun said the construction of the Bridge is a very important project for Dominica.

“This Bridge is a very important bridge in Dominica,” he stated. “The construction company of this bridge is from China and this company is a very high quality, very powerful, very big company in China.”

He said most important projects in China are constructed by the company.

“This bridge is half completed, but even at this moment the bridge was not damaged by Hurricane Maria,” Lu Kun said. “It is a climate resilience bridge and I hope that it will beneficial to the transportation between the east and the west in Dominica and also beneficial to the farmers locally.”

He said also that the bridge is part of the friendship between Dominica and the People’s Republic of China.

The original Yorke Valley Bridge was severely damaged during the collapse of the Mattieu Dam in July 2011.

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35 Comments

  1. Eidolon
    June 2, 2018

    There is an old joke which says ‘ yesterday I couldn’t spell engineer today I am an engineer’. Says it all, doesn’t it?

  2. Hey
    June 1, 2018

    Boy….sometimes eh… I just love coming to the “Comments Section” for kicks…look jokes. I just laughed out loud…literally in my office….alas…my Dominican people are the best.

    Look mahjie…….you guys made my afternoon.

  3. AP George
    June 1, 2018

    Y’all heard Mr. Austrie… they used a live event (Maria) to test the bridge… and it passed! The bridge is now 100% climate resilient! Wow, no wonder we have the same problems each and everytime. We do the same stupid things every single time and expect different results – what lunacy.

  4. nng1332
    June 1, 2018

    DNO you miss the part when Austrie said he jumped up and down on the bridge and found it sound. Lard ah mercy! hhahahaha

    nevertheless thanks for the bridge. We appreciate it!

  5. Roger Burnett
    June 1, 2018

    “…within a week or so the Chinese engineers will test the resilience of the bridge to ensure that everything is done according to specs…”

    As an engineer, I am familiar with testing components before assembly but I am curious to know how the Chinese engineers will test the resilience of the completed bridge. Furthermore, it’s a bit late in the day if they now find that everything has not been done according to specs.

    Let me add, I totally agree with those that argue against the folly of mid-stream piers.

  6. little yout
    May 31, 2018

    A bridge with no road access. You guys abandon the layou valley road SMAME ON YOU!

  7. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    May 31, 2018

    They’re still building these bridges with so many pinch points.

  8. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    May 31, 2018

    Tested for resilience said Austrie?

    What sort of scientific methods was used in the Dominica resilience testing. I wonder if Austrie used a thousand pounds  wrecking  ball, drooping it in the center of the bridge to see if it could have withstand the impacted force or pressure, of a thousand pounds or more?

    Was the bridge put through a vibration test which will be one of the tests it faces when it gets shake by an earthquake?

    How many tons of flowing water was used to overwhelm the bridge with a raving current as it will when it will be flooded out by torrential rain and an overflowing river?

    In the first place a child can see there is no change to the construction of bridges in Dominica; the Bridge is still too low; be it over a running river, or a dry bed. Floods are inevitable in Dominica; as such the result will be the same by the time it floods again!

    • Man bite dogs
      June 2, 2018

      That guy called Francisco, Is one hell of a saddest person ever he doesn’t have any friends, everyone trying to avoid him like a plage, trying to be what he is not, bye the way people Francisco, Is relative to the invisible man call Lennox Linton so you know what you up against two hot blood daydreaming idiots trying to destroy Dominica at all costs looking for power and money, Francisco said after Maria he would not give Dominica a penny, but what he didn’t say he didn’t have a black cent in his pocket to help Dominica, Francisco we don’t need your help hurry up get back to hell Satan is waiting.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 3, 2018

        Mr. Man dog, I could care less about your rubbish!

        I will not give one dime to anybody in Dominica through a labor party government; I do not feel sorry for any of the red devils suffering from the aftermath of Maria. You all want Roosevelt Skerrit; he is you all god, let him solve your problems.

        But I’ll tell you what he cannot sell enough diplomatic passport to feed you and the rest of the hungery people like you who depends on him for your survival! And by the way Dog Eater, I told you already I am not looking for money, I have enough to last to the day I die; and I will leave the rest to my children, and grandchildren!

        The good thing is that I worked and earn every penny I have to my name. Note Francisco never (thief) not one penny in all my life, like a certain fellow I know eh!

        FBI; Scotland Yard; INTERPOL can’t arrest me like the thief!

        Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

  9. coyote
    May 31, 2018

    I live in Layou Park.What about the road,it’s a disgrace.New bridge dilapidated road.

  10. Pondering
    May 31, 2018

    Thank you very much.Mr Engineer. All what you’ve said is what I have always been saying based on the destruction of our bridges I’ve viewed. Why put the piers(which I called pillars) in the path or the river which causes the most damage. I looked at Macoushrie bridge and the soil seem to be more like sand. I would not put peers anywhere near the river. I am no engineer but to me it is just common sense. I hope the authourities take note.

  11. Concern dominican
    May 31, 2018

    Well said engineer from the uk. I too is an engineer in the uk of Dominican nationality.
    This is a constructive criticism but as you said the bridge does look good from photo??

    • Amarossa
      June 1, 2018

      “I too is an Engineer”…….Lie dat!!!!

      Not with that kind of grammar you wrote there.

  12. KID ON THE BLOCK
    May 31, 2018

    No matter what, Them man(uwpites) can never be pleased or satisfied. Always complaining and criticizing. Now they asking for open bridge. Why can’t we be thankful!?

    • Pondering
      June 1, 2018

      We are thankful but we can also learn from our mistakes. We need to do the best so that we dont waste money doing the same things over and over again.
      On another note. This is consrructive criticism. I am no uwpite so stop assuming that when some one says what they observe and make excellent suggestions stop criticizing. We only want whats best for Dominica.

      • KID ON THE BLOCK
        June 2, 2018

        We all want what’s best for the country but I’m sure if the PM ever makes such a suggestion you would be first to say is waste of money. Do you ever understand the reason for open bridges and the cost invole in implementing such?
        Have you also thought of how many open bridges that would have to be built all over the country?

  13. Dominica Passports
    May 31, 2018

    Dominica need bridges that can open and close, The Chinese self should know better they always building them, the bridges that go up and down for boats to pass, when storm time come just push a button and the bridges go up and give the river, trees and debris space to pass.

    • ????????????
      May 31, 2018

      Hahaha I laughed at this one. :-D . Dominica Passports you have a point there.

    • Wil
      May 31, 2018

      It is not that simple sir/madame. Moveable bridges are very expensive, and need expensive machinery. And lifting the bridge during hurricane is going to subject them to extremely strong wind forces. So while it will be good for water in upright position wind most likely cause damage. It is cheaper to just make the bridges higher to provide more clearance under.

    • It's me
      May 31, 2018

      We can barely maintain what we have, are you certain we will be able to maintain a drawbridge? Besides do we have any water ways or rivers with marine traffic or commercial traffic requiring this type of bridge.

    • Pondering
      May 31, 2018

      Not a bad idea at all.

    • Winston Warrington
      May 31, 2018

      The bridges you mention, bascule, lift and swing bridges are used to facilitate ships sailing through . I understand that along time ago there was one at an old carenage near Portsmouth where ships were retrofitted at a dry dock. They are not used for flood conditions, they are precision engineered.

    • South City
      June 1, 2018

      so when the bridges up in the air, the wind will not mash it up ?

  14. Shaka Zulu
    May 31, 2018

    Star you making too much sense to these people. I would also add we should look into arched bridges which are structurally stronger and allow more range in flood stage. In flood stage any obstruction causes more turbulence which accelerates erosion and obstruction will cause water flood elsewhere form new channels. We don’t learn and hate innovation and change even if the same ole thing gets us killed.

  15. British army military engineer
    May 31, 2018

    looks good but they have committed the 2 fatal flaws that is always being repeated in Dominica time and time again when building bridges especially in Dominica.

    1 they put 2 piers in the centre of the river. Dominican rivers tend to bring down the biggest trees and they get stuck up on the piers causing a blockage and sending the water over the bridge . also these piers can be undermined and collapse

    2 the bridge footings are built directly on the edge of the rivers which means during flood conditions the river water is running directly against the footings allowing the river to undermine them as happened on the ec loblack bridge and the lower layou river bridge and facilitate a collapse

    Dominican rivers are not that wide and can be spanned by a single span bridge hence no piers in the middle of the river bed and also your bridge footings should be built a reasonable distance away from the river edge so that way the river cannot undermine the footings

    • weekendz
      May 31, 2018

      Somebody please copy this to the responsible parties.

      • British army military engineer
        May 31, 2018

        bro every time i come down to Dominica say the same thing over and over but they always have the who is you attitude, and the i been doing this for how many years who you is telling me what to do talk, they always know better but there better is to do the same thing they been doing and failing at for years

        a great man once said the definition of madness is dong the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result

      • Neville
        June 3, 2018

        You are absolutely right and Skerrit and his lot never learned of that great man. In any case they are to busy fleecing the country left right and centre rather than do what they are actually being payed for. Useless bunch…

    • Clint Gerald Shillingford
      May 31, 2018

      Sounds right too me

    • Man bite dogs
      June 1, 2018

      About comments, Mr So-called Army Engineer i would like to know if you have any experience with bridge building requirements, if you do post a copy of your certificate to DNO let us see it, their are many types of engineering personnels in the UK army, People like you and concern dominican talking crap about UK military services, workers party and their supporters are all rubbish **** talking merchants and has nothing to offer apart from being monkeys on the Internet.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 1, 2018

        Man bite dogs; even if that person may not be a building engineer, even a novice without commonsense can see the  way the bridge is constructed will not prevent it from washing away by the time it get hit by the first flood!

        Everything the person said is accurate; and I will add to that it is too low over the river, the two ends are too close to the edge of the river bank; everything seen is a recipe  for washing away, and history is going to prove the person you are asking to present his certificate correct, and you wrong!

        By the way since you are on the subject of certificate, can please let DNO display yours so that we can prove you know better than the other person?

      • Man bite dogs
        June 1, 2018

        @ Francisco, are you stupid or what, I never said i was better just asking if he is or was a bridge engineer with the UK military services, and his rank and file, And as for you Mr nasty Francisco you are a loser and God father of properganda for Workers idiots like you party, I am being nice to you Francisco, but next time I will not be because I know all about you…. And the subject of certificate you always claimed to know it all from medical degree to road sweeping show me your certificates and I will show you mine, how about abet 1000 pounds no US pounds only, remember no false certificate i know for sure in America for a dollar or two one can buy anything.

      • British army military engineer
        June 2, 2018

        send me your email address and i will personally email u all my British army city and guilds certificates in everything from water purification to explosive demolition, boat handling ,and equipment and none equipment bridge and road construction. thats just to name a few . im also a class 1 military combat engineer and class 1 electrician. not to mention my electrical and mechanical engineering certificates that i got while i was in dominica before migrating

    • mention
      June 2, 2018

      @ British army engineer, i totally agree with both of your points but there is one problem when it comes to point no.2 . Point no. 1 can work but the no.2 is difficult because alot of our bridge dont have much space to work with on either ends. Example, where would you put the footing for E.C Loblack Bridge, if you watch the footing might be by right be by James Electronic and the other by Fevrier. The point is we just dont have much space in the country for those footings. Look at the same Layou Bridge you spoke about, one end it is okay for proper footing but the other end is met by the cliff. Good ideas but it is tight.

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