Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer

Haynes says Carib Cement is relying on production stockpiles. - File

Major players in the local construction industry have said they are not expecting any significant setbacks despite temporary inaccessibility to raw material in St Thomas triggered by storm damage to the road network.

President of the Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica, Raymond Cooper, told The Gleaner on Wednesday that he did not anticipate a major fallout following the destruction of the Hope River bridge, which connected St Andrew to St Thomas.

The bridge was split by the Hope River, swollen by the heavy rains, which Tropical Storm Gustav dumped on the island Thursday and Friday last week. A Bailey bridge has since been installed to facilitate pedestrians and motorists, but vehicular traffic is restricted to cars and SUVs.

Lost few production days

Cooper said while some building projects might have lost a few production days, a ford that is scheduled for completion this weekend should bring some relief.

"As it is now, one expects that the ford will be put in place so there ought not be any significant (delays). There might be some minor interruptions at this point in time, but nothing long term," he explained.

Failing the completion of the bridge, Cooper said additional raw material would have to be sourced from May Pen, Clarendon.

General manager of Caribbean Cement Company Limited, Anthony Haynes, advised that there should be no shortage of cement because the main road to mining sites in St Thomas had been cut off. He said the company had been using stored raw material for production.

"What we are doing now is using trucked stockpiles and we have about six weeks stockpiled," Haynes told The Gleaner.

"We have very high inventories of cement, so that's not an issue at all," he added.