Repair costs mount as Blue Mountain road ignored

MORANT BAY, St. Thomas:

THE ROAD at Penline Castle which serves coffee farmers in the Blue Mountains continues to deteriorate and will require about $100m for repairs, according to deliberations at the monthly St. Thomas Parish Council meeting last Thursday.

It is also the road that takes hikers up the famous mountain, the highest in Jamaica.

Councillor for the area, Clive Larmond, lashed out at the political directorate over the years for neglecting the repairs. Three years ago the works were estimated at over $28 million, now it has almost quadrupled to over $100m.

"Nobody is looking at this road; even the tourism people are saying they are not responsible," said Mr. Larmond.

Superintendent of the Parish Council, Dennis Bembridge, said that the Parish Council itself was in no position to attempt the repairs.

"We get $80 million each year. You have to form a committee to get some attention in that area," the Superintendent advised.

Deputy Mayor Lancelot Comrie also had some suggestion. "I empathise with you councillor, but it must be tackled through an inter-agency approach along with central government as that is the only way it will be fixed."

But Councillor Larmond continued to plead for whatever minor work the Council could do.

"I have counted 20 land slippages after the heavy rain, the people need a place to walk, vehicle to take them in an out of the community, I need something to be done now," he pleaded.

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