By COREY CONNELLY Sunday, August 23 2009

Hundreds of residents were stranded yesterday after the Rampanalgas bridge collapsed, cutting off the area and other north-east coast communities from the rest of the country.

However, Toco/Fishing Pond councillor Martin “Terry” Rondon, who is responsible for the region, said it was not the persistent rainfall that caused the accident, but a crane that was positioned on the bridge.

Rondon said that at about 12.45 pm a crane operator was lifting some concrete slabs from an area close to the bridge to place at the site of a new one which was being constructed alongside the collapsed structure.

The bridge, which is being constructed by Trinidad Contractors of Claxton Bay, is situated at the 18 1/2 mile mark along the Toco Road. “The traffic just came to a halt for a short while, while the driver was lifting the concrete slabs and the bridge just caved in and collapsed,” Rondon said in a telephone interview.

Rondon, vice-chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, said the operator of the crane, Krishna Rambaran, escaped unhurt.

But the mishap caused panic and sadness among north-east coast villagers desperate to reach their homes and other destinations to avoid threatening rains.

Traffic was also backed up for speveral kilometres as a result of the incident.

Rondon said a Bailey bridge was expected to be installed as a temporary measure.

As an interim step, he said a makeshift walk-over was constructed by workers and nearby residents after the bridge caved in.

“We used a plank and ropes so that people could pass from one side to the next. But no vehicles would be able to pass. From Rampanalgas to Matelot is cut off,” he said.

Rondon said he had also requested the assistance of several maxi taxi drivers in the region to transport villagers on either side of the collapsed bridge.

A statement from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) confirmed that a B1/18 bridge had collapsed on the Toco Main Road.

The ODPM said the response agencies had been notified and would be repaired and ready for use by Monday morning.

It advised commuters to seek alternative routes where possible.

“The situation is being monitored and the public will be advised accordingly should there be any changes,” the ODPM added.