Persistent rains in the north-eastern parishes of St. Mary, Portland and St. Thomas continue to wreak havoc on the main road network. The National Works Agency (NWA) is advising that some 12 roadways in these parishes, along which several communities are located are being seriously impacted.
Most communities are being affected in the parish of St. Mary, where some 10 corridors have been either blocked or reduced to single lane access. Two roads remain impassable in Portland, while in St. Thomas, one continues to be a major issue.
Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw says that among the corridors in St. Mary that are now being impacted are Hamiliton to Oracbessa, Pembroke Hall to Guys Hill, Gayle to Ocho Rios, Gayle to Windsor and Oracabessa to Port Maria. Sections of these roadways have been reduced to single lane access, due to washed out culverts, breakaways and inundation. Extreme caution is being advised in using these corridors.
Mr. Shaw says that in Portland, the Buff Bay Valley continues to be challenged by four massive breakaways that have rendered the corridors from Balcares to Wakefield and Cascade to Regale impassable.
In St. Thomas, access has been regained to the community of Hagley’s Gap, which up to this morning was marooned. The community is however, only accessible by large vehicles or those equipped with four wheel drive. The community of Mahagony Vale is still inaccessible from the direction of Hagleys Gap, as one of the approaches to the Ford has been washed out.
Mr. Shaw says that the NWA is making arrangements to have the approach re-established but with the Yallahs River still in spate, the efforts are being seriously hampered. River shingle is a key ingredient in recreating embankments to facilitate vehicular access. The material cannot be mined when the river is flooded.
In the meantime, Mr. Shaw is advising persons traversing known areas in the parishes of Portland, St. Mary and St. Thomas that are susceptible to landslides, flooding or fallen rocks to exercise extreme caution.
