THE thousands of residents who were left stranded when the Hope Bridge in Harbour View, Kingston collapsed last Thursday night, cutting off eastern Jamaica from the capital city, should breathe a sigh of relief today when a new Bailey bridge becomes operational.
Yesterday, National Works Agency (NWA) workers along with Jamaica Defence Force soldiers worked feverishly into the night to install the temporary structure, which will be in place for at least another 15 months until the permanent bridge is built.
A group of residents waited anxiously on each side yesterday for work to finish so they could stop the daily trek through the murky waters of the Hope River.
Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry, who observed the proceedings told the Observer the bridge should be ready for use by 6:00 this morning.
Henry who will visit the bridge again this morning, said traffic lights will also be installed as the Bailey bridge will only accommodate single lane traffic, as well as a pedestrian walkway.
"Absolutely no heavy duty equipment will be allowed to use the structure," he said.
Tests will, however, be done to determine if the bridge can withstand the weight of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses with passengers. If not, plans are already in place for passengers to disembark at one end of the bridge, walk over and board another bus to their final destination.
