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Construction of the Bailey Bridge in October 2002.
CABINET IS expected to decide soon whether a permanent bridge should be built over the Yallahs ford in St. Thomas or whether the Easington Bridge should be expanded to connect Kingston and St. Thomas.
Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill said yesterday that a substantial sum of money would be spent and these were the two schools of thought that would have to be considered.
He said given that it would cost about $180 million to build a permanent bridge, careful considerations had to be given before either option was adopted.
According to the Minister, a report obtained from engineers indicates that a properly constructed bridge over the Yallahs ford would be able to withstand high forces of rushing waters and should last between 15 and 20 years in the absence of any unusual occurrences.
The original Yallahs bridge was destroyed last October during heavy rains associated with Hurricane Lili. Subsequently, a 240-foot Bailey Bridge was constructed but it was washed away on May 24 when heavy rains pelted the island. Responding to questions posed by James Robertson, the Member of Parliament for Western St. Thomas in the House of Representatives in August, Mr. Pickersgill said supplementary works on the Bailey Bridge which were to have been implemented shortly after its erection were not completed because they ran out of money.
Yesterday, he said that incomplete river training also contributed to the collapse of the bridge.
