The Bridge Authority will address long-standing issues with the Paradise Island exit bridge before the end of this month, Bridge Authority Director Melissa Hall indicated yesterday. Hall, who was contacted for comment, said the Bridge Authority expects to sign a contract on January 25 for the repairs and strengthening works of that bridge. While she said the cost of those works is nearly $6 million, Hall later contacted The Nassau Guardian and said that figure was incorrect. Hall did not provide a revised figure.

Last June, Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson said the estimated cost to undertake the repair and strengthening works is $5,344,128. When contacted yesterday, Gibson said more details will be released at the contract signing.

The Guardian reported in January 2014 that despite initial indications from Bridge Authority Chairman Rory Higgs that the bridge "has pretty much exceeded its useful life", according to Ministry of Works Senior Structural Engineer Robert Mouzas, the need to build a third bridge is unnecessary.

"I think there is life left in the bridge and with the [vehicles] that actually use the bridge that we have... capacity is adequate for the traffic flow," Mouzas said.

Gibson has said the Ministry of Works recommended carrying out the repairs, strengthening the eastern bridge with regular maintenance and replacing the structure in 2042. He pointed to the importance of the bridge project, noting it is something that should have been in place for years.

"We see heavy equipment going over the bridge on a daily basis [but] we have no idea of exactly what the tonnage is for those vehicles and in some instances they are much heavier than both bridges can accommodate, and so it's important for us to get [repairs] in motion on the bridge," Gibson said.

Bahamas Auto Repair Association (BARA) President Dwaine Scavella is calling on the government to bring some clarification to its proposed ban on “wrecked” vehicles and on vehicles more than 10 years old. However, he fears his calls will remain unheeded before irreparable damage has been done.

“We have written to the prime minister directly, and we have not heard a response as yet to even have an audience with us to hear our concerns or put some of our concerns in place,” Scavella said.

During the last budget debate, the government introduced proposed legislation that would prohibit the importation of a vehicle or motorcycle that is 10 years or older, unless authorized by the minister for “environmental reasons”. A motor vehicle that has been wrecked and does not have a rebuild title would be prohibited from being imported, according to the Customs Management Amendment Bill, which was tabled in the House of Assembly in May.

Scavella said with the ban on “so-called wrecked” vehicles, the automotive industry is currently feeling the drawbacks. He claimed that because there have been mixed messages from several Cabinet ministers on the topic, there is currently no clarification and auto dealers are refusing to make a move.

“Auto sales dealers are now refusing to accept any funding from consumers because they don’t know what the situation is as far as what is being banned and what is not being banned,” said Scavella.

“We have heard some of the ministers say that it doesn’t mean that some people won’t be able to bring in some damaged vehicles.”

Scavella said because of this uncertainty the industry is beginning to decline.

“Nothing is moving right now. It has come to a standstill,” he said.

“One of the things that is definitely going to be a major factor in another week or two is the employment side of this situation.

“People are going to start losing their jobs, and that is going to add to what is already a high unemployment right now.

“We are hoping the government doesn’t continue to ignore this situation.”

The BARA president said shipping companies, mechanic shops, freelance workers and all other businesses that are affiliates to the industry are also feeling the negative impact of the ban.

“If they would sit and talk to us and let us know exactly and clearly what they are planning on doing, then we would be able to state our side of the situation and we would be able to bring some clarification on the things that they don’t know,” he said.

The ban is expected to take effect on September 1.

The Ministry of Transport and Aviation wishes to advise the general public of the temporary closure of the Port Department and the Road Traffic Department in Grand Bahama.

Both agencies are housed at the National Insurance Board Building on East Mall Drive, Freeport, Grand Bahama.The National Insurance Board Building in Grand Bahama is undergoing some maintenance work which is scheduled to be resolved in the quickest possible time.

Normal operations at both the Port Department and the Road Traffic Department in Grand Bahama are expected to resume on Monday, 18 May, 2015.

The Ministry of Transport and Aviation will advise further as necessary.

Renardo 'Tyson' Miller, 26, who was killed in an accident on the Airport Gateway Project on Friday, visited his mother's house off Carmichael Road almost every other day before he died, said mourning relatives who gathered at that house after identifying his body at the Rand Morgue yesterday. Vern Ferguson, Miller's mother, said she has not come to grips with the reality that her son will never visit her again. She said the last time she spoke to Miller was on Thursday night.

She said that before leaving the house, he told her, "I'm tired. I'm going to rest this evening. I'll see you tomorrow, life last". "It feels like it is a dream, but it is a reality and it has happened, but I just can't believe it," she said. "He was pleasant. He was a lovable child and I called him a no-nonsense person. After coming back from the morgue I went inside his room and I just cried." Miller, who spent the last six months working on the Airport Gateway Project, was killed after being crushed by a MAC trailer. The accident happened near the roundabout at John F. Kennedy Drive and Gladstone Road shortly after 10 a.m., police said.

An employee, who was overseeing the utility work, said Miller was installing utility pipes underground when the driver of the trailer called out for the keys of another heavy-duty machine on-site. The employee, who did not wish to be named, said Miller climbed out of the trench and attempted to jump on the step of the trailer leading to the driver's door when he slipped and fell to the ground. He said at that moment Miller was crushed under the weight of the trailer's front and rear tires. Stanford Ferguson, Miller's uncle, stood beside his sister in the kitchen of the home as he recalled arriving at the scene of the incident after getting a call. He said when he arrived he was confronted with the sight of Renardo's body lying on the ground.

Ferguson, an administrator and contractor on the Airport Gateway Project, said he helped his nephew get the job. He said he last saw Miller on Monday morning and they discussed how he could develop his skills to take on more responsibility on the project. Ferguson explained that Miller, who would have turned 27,a month from today, visited his mother's home frequently to spend time with her and feed his four pure-bred dogs. He described Miller as a kind, sweet and mannerly person, who would give away his last dollar to help someone in need. "Just before he [was] killed he took his last couple of dollars and bought breakfast for the four guys he was working with, so that can tell you the type of person he was," he said. "He loved his grammy and took care of her. He was a very affectionate young man." The family hopes to arrange a funeral for February 2.