Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
A section of the Portmore Causeway in St. Catherine that was flooded out yesterday leaving thousands of Portmore residents stranded. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
HURRICANE WILMA'S relentless rains have wrecked the island's road network rendering many roads inundated and impassable while reducing many others to single lane traffic.
Among the 'victims' of Wilma's rage was the controversial Causeway. The roadway linking the 'sunshine city' of Portmore with the Corporate Area was inundated but reopened yesterday afternoon to single lane traffic.
A statement from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), warned that small vehicles should proceed with extreme caution.
The ODPEM also said the National Works Agency (NWA), French company Bouygues, developers of Highway 2000 and the Port Authority were in the process of instituting temporary measures to alleviate the flooding on the Portmore Causeway.
TRAFFIC BROUGHT TO HALT
Traffic on the Mandela Highway was brought to a virtual standstill by 9:00 p.m. last night. The main thoroughfare taking traffic outside the Corporate Area was severely flooded and has been reduced to single lane traffic. Yesterday a 30-minute journey took up to six hours and some motorists ran out of fuel as they tried to make their way to, or from work. According to the ODPEM, at least nine other thoroughfares were partially restored to single lane traffic status.
In addition, the emergency agency reported that at least 16 roads, mostly in the rural parts of the island, were still blocked while five thoroughfares, spanning the parishes of Clarendon, St. Elizabeth and Manchester, were still flooded.
ODPEM beseeched motorists to proceed with caution along the flooded roads.
CLEARED ROADS
St. Catherine
Twickenham Park to Ferry is open to single lane
St. Thomas
Easington to Llandewey
Llandewey to Windsor is being cleared
Clarendon
Free Town - single lane access only
Four Paths to Sandy Bay
Glenmuir to Hospital Gate
St. Elizabeth
Luana to Tombstone - single lane access
Scotts Cove to Black River - single lane access
Malvern to Mountainside - single lane access
Manchester
Christiana to Alston - single lane access
St. Andrew
Woodford to Norbrook - single lane access
Stony Hill to Parks Road - single lane access
Nolan Hill to Border - single lane access.
BLOCKED ROADS
St. Catherine
Troja to Sports Bar
Worthington Park to St. Johns
Clarendon
Sour Sop Turn to Danks
Nine Turns to Riches
Alley to Rest - the bridge is damaged
St. Elizabeth
Gutters to Downs
Top Hill to Big Yard
Malvern to Mountainside
Williamsfield to Fullerswood
Bigwoods
Treasure Beach to Great Bay
Scotts Cove to Black River in the Luana Area
Mountainside to Park
St. Andrew
Guava Ridge to Mahogany Vale
Guava Ridge to Coopers Ridge
Guava Ridge to Silver Hill Gap.
FLOODED
Clarendon
May Pen to Sour Sop Turn
St. Elizabeth
Mountainside to Park
Downs to Lititz
Manchester
Alligator Pond to Guts River
Craighead to Troy.
