The Denham Suspension Bridge, also known as the Garraway Stream Bridge is a footbridge in Guyana linking Mahdia to Bartica. This suspension bridge was constructed over the Potaro River in an area known as Garraway Stream by a Scottish civil engineer and general contractor, John Aldi,[1] on 6 November 1933.[2]
Denham Suspension Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Denham Suspension Bridge (2011) | |
| Coordinates | 5°22′17″N 59°07′26″W / 5.3714°N 59.1239°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians, (light) cars |
| Crosses | Potaro River |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| History | |
| Opened | November 1933 |
| Location | |
 | |
The namesake for the bridge was the Governor of British Guiana (1930–1935), Sir Edward Brandis Denham (1876–1938), who opened the bridge[2] with golden scissors according to the Montreal Gazette.[3] The bridge and path was meant to shorten the journey to the Potaro gold fields by five days.[3] Miners would later call the bridge the Cassandra Crossing.[4]
In January 2020, the bridge was rehabilitated and reopened for light vehicles up to 10 tonnes.[5] The bridge has been declared a regional monument.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Allicock, Dmitri. "The 1933 Denham Suspension Bridge into Guyana's Hinterland". Guyanese Online web site. Guyanese Online. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
In November 1933 a bridge was constructed over the Garraway Stream, linking Mahdia to Bartica by trail. This cable suspension bridge was named "Denham Bridge" after the then Colonial Governor Sir Edward Denham. The Denham Suspension Bridge, which is also called the Garraway Stream Bridge, served as a vital access to the early Gold and Diamond fields of Guyana.
- ^ a b c "Region 8 (Potaro-Siparuni". National Trust. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Bridges". Guyana Times International. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Bartica-Potaro road to be rehabilitated". Stabroek News. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Denham Bridge reopened to light traffic". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
External links
edit
- The Bridge to El Dorado: The Story of the Denham Suspension Bridge by For the Culture Guyana
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