Rasbert Turner
and George Henry, Gleaner Writers
A cyclist makes his way over downed concrete utility poles, which were uprooted by heavy rains associated with 'Wilma' in Banks, Clarendon, on Thursday. - IAN ALLEN/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE RAGING Rio Minho gobbled up bridges and roads in Clarendon earlier this week, turning the rural landscape into a panoramic horror of broken houses, smashed water mains, and marooned communities.
Most roads in northern and southern Clarendon were blocked by landslides or inundated by Hurricane Wilma's persistent showers. The National Works Agency (NWA) has reported that most of those roads had been cleared.
According to the NWA, the roads leading to most major towns are now operational even to allow for single lane traffic. The Alley Bridge which gives commuters access to the communities of Lionel Town, Water Lane and surrounding areas has been destroyed. A section of Chapleton road in the north central section of the parish has been broken off between Four Paths and that town.
Persons who have to travel to Chapleton have been forced to travel via the alternate route through Wood Hall to Cocoa Piece to the Summerfield to Thompson Town. The Pumpkin to Reckford road in north Clarendon is also reportedly cut off.
However, roads such as the one which serves the community of Dykes Hill, Corn Hill to Smithville, Ritches to Coffee Piece, Orange Hill to Long Look and the Mainridge thoroughfare, which were blocked up to Wednesday were said to be allowing single lane traffic on Friday.
In the meantime, the heavy persistent showers, Wednesday night, have resulted in the worsening of a collapsed section of the Spaldings to Christiana main road at Bamboo in Manchester.
The section of the roadway which collapsed on Tuesday morning has fallen about four feet, creating a hazardous situation for motorists.
NWA'S NONCHALANCE
In the meantime, in St. Catherine, Councillor Owen Palmer of the Homestead division, said that he was disgruntled with the NWA's nonchalance in dealing with the section of the Spanish Town bypass, which has "broken in two".
Councillor Palmer, who is also the deputy mayor of Spanish Town, said that the road had been broken in two since Tuesday and while he understood that the NWA had a heavy workload at this time, the major road should have given priority treatment.
"We need to have it at rest immediately, as its major road connects the rural part of Jamaica to Kingston." Mr. Palmer said that now is the time that people are trying to regularise their businesses and that at best, the decision-makers at the work agency "are dragging their feet".
In St. Ann, the deplorable condition of roads in Farm Town and Bethel Town has caused councillor for the Dry Harbour division, Geoffrey Waugh, to literally hold up his hand in despair during the monthly meeting of the St. Ann Parish Council on Thursday, October 13.
Councillor Waugh said, "My humility is gone. The roads are impassable, especially Bethel Town. I need some help from this body. I can't even go to church again."
Waugh also reported that the Thicketts Road was damaged and declared, "I lift my hands in the air."
Superintendent of Roads and Works, George Hosang, pointed out that those roads were damaged by the National Water Commission, when it carried out excavation work to put in a new water supply system to serve those areas and its environs.
Hosang noted that a contractor had started work on the rehabilitation of the road, but left before its completion. The council decided to use 50 per cent of the estimated $11 million sum to carry out remedial work, but the National Water Commission (NWC) had not responded to the suggestion.
He suggested that the council take up the matter with the Ministry of Water and Housing as no progress was being made with the NWC.
It was reported, yesterday, that rehabilitation of roads in Kingston and St. Andrew would begin next week Monday, but residents of rural Jamaica are not sure when their 'bad road plight' will be alleviated.
Additional reporting by Leslie McLean
