By George Henry, Freelance WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
AFTER MORE than 40 years of having to cope with deplorable road conditions, several users of the Zinc Shop to Santa Hill road near Spaldings in North West Clarendon are now enjoying smoother rides.
Work on the more than one mile stretch of road from the Zinc Shop intersection to the Nine Miles intersection was completed over two weeks ago by the construction firm, Build Rite Construction Company.
Work on the road was started during the recent heavy rains leading up to the October 16 general election. Some residents were cynical, noting that every time it came around to a major election over the many years they received promises that their road would be repaired properly. However, those promises were never kept.
This time around the Santa Hill residents are singing the praises of the two candidates who contested the recent General Election, past Member of Parliament Clifton Stone and Richard Azan, Member of Parliament-elect, for the representations they have both made in seeing to the new condition of their road.
Many of the residents expressed happiness with the present state of the road but have urged caution in its use.
One taxi driver said since the road repair was completed over three weeks ago there has been an increase in traffic through that rural farming community. He said motorists have started to use it as an alternative route to avoid the poor state of the nearby main road leading to and from the town of Spaldings.
Kirk Kirby who has been living in Santa Hill for more than 20 years, noted that he too was happy with the new road condition from the main road to the Santa Hill square but said Mr. Azan needs to lobby to have the deplorable state of the section of road from the square to Bullocks repaired.
Bernard Nelson, a farmer and one who is involved in part time taxi business and who has been living at Santa Hill for almost 70 years, told The Gleaner that he too felt good about the improved road condition but expressed disappointment that the section from Santa Hill to Bullocks was not included in the programme for repairs.
"The worse part is still not fixed. They fix the pretty part where the big people live and the poor people part where all the farmers come from is still bad. The MP and the other big men need to move swiftly to have that section repaired because all the farmers are still having difficulties carrying out their produce, as there is no road," said Mr. Nelson.
The Rev. Arthur Brown who oversees a church and a school in the area, also welcomed the improvement.
"I am so excited about the improvement and we really appreciate the efforts of those who have initiated it but the section from Santa Hill to Bullocks must be repaired with urgency," he said.
President of the Santa Hill Citizens Association, Robert Green, who has been living in the community for more than forty years, said they were now looking forward to phase two of the work, which is the section from Santa Hill to the farming community of Bullocks.
