The City’s iconic ‘Swing Bridge’ is creating mounting challenges for businesses along Lower Bay Street, proprietors have told Barbados TODAY, reporting a noticeable loss of income.
Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), which manages the historic 150-year-old bridge – officially the Chamberlain Bridge – has implemented fixed daily opening schedules, resulting in the bridge being closed to pedestrian traffic for extended periods until further notice.
The Chamberlain Bridge under restricted pedestrian crossing. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph)
Notices posted at both ends of the lift bridge — which connects the lower end of the Careenage in the City to the southern commercial district — outline the new operating hours. The bridge is raised from 5.00 a.m. to 8.30 a.m., 10.45 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., and 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Pedestrians are allowed to cross between 8.30 a.m. and 10.45 a.m., 1.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m., and from 6.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m.
But several business owners say the restricted access is discouraging customers, particularly City lunchtime traffic.
“Some people across town who come over the bridge for lunch complain that walking all the way around is too much,” said the owner of a Lower Bay Street restaurant. “It is definitely affecting my business.”
The proprietor added that workers from nearby banks and offices are among those opting not to make the longer journey.
Similar concerns were raised by Navin, operator of Bhairav Variety Store, who said inconsistent bridge operations are compounding the problem.
“I am losing business and people who depend on me are inconvenienced,” he said. “The bridge says it is open at a certain time, but when you get there, it is not open. It has happened many times.”
Navin argued that the unpredictability is deterring customers altogether.
“When people go there expecting it to open and it does not, they have to walk all the way around. That is not how business works. They need to organise it better so that when they say it will open, it opens.”
Pedestrians interviewed expressed mixed views, with some describing the detour as inconvenient while others saw it as manageable.
“Yes, it is an inconvenience,” said a visitor from Jamaica. “The last time I came, it was closed, and it added to my journey.”
Others were less concerned.
Astor Whitehall. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Joseph)
“It doesn’t matter to me — the exercise is good,” said Astor Whitehall.
Another commuter noted that while the intention may be practical, the impact on everyday users is significant.
“For the most part, it will be an inconvenience for ordinary people,” he said.
Regular user Samantha Yearwood said the changes have disrupted her daily routine:
“It is an inconvenience because I now have to go around the other side to get to work.”
Frederick Young. (Photo CCredit: Emmanuel Joseph)
Elderly pedestrian Frederick Young took a more measured view, suggesting the restrictions may be justified:
“If there is a good reason, I don’t see anything wrong with the time limits.”
Senior officials from Barbados Port Inc., which now operates the bridge, were not immediately available for comment.
Built between 1865 and 1867 over the Indian Bridge from which the City takes its name, the Chamberlain Bridge was open to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic for much of its history.
It was manually swung open by the then Ministry of Communication and Works’ operators to allow for schooners to pass to and from the Inner Basin. Fishing boats were able to pass under the closed bridge when they were moored inside the Inner Basin.
As its gear mechanism wore out, raising fears that if swung open, engineers might not be able to close it, the bridge was closed to vehicle crossing for several years in the 1990s, before it was replaced with a lift bridge in 2006.
(EJ)
