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Just east of the narrow Bunsee Trace bridge where 30-year-old Kalisa Danclair lost her life lies a modern, completed two-lane bridge, still unopened, unused, and now at the centre of public outrage.

Danclair, a young mother, died overnight Monday when her silver Toyota Axio crashed through the aged bridge’s railing and plunged into the swollen South Oropouche River. Though residents rushed to save her, the car quickly submerged and all rescue attempts failed.

The tragedy has sparked renewed public anger, as residents and commuters point to the new bridge, built as part of the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension to Point Fortin (SHHEPF), which could have provided a safer crossing.