The National Works Agency (NWA) has re-opened to at least single lane access the majority of the over 60 road sections that have been impacted by persistent rains in the parishes of St. Mary, Portland and St. Thomas. Five roadways however remained blocked in two of the parishes.
Manager of Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw says teams from the Agency have been out since early this morning reopening the affected corridors.
He says however that the roadways from Grandy Hole to Golden Valley, Rio Nuevo to Lambkin Hill and Montreal to Top Derry in St. Mary remain impassable. The White Hall main road in the parish is also impassable.
Mr. Shaw says heavy equipment is now working to get the Grandy Hole and Rio Nuevo roadways reopened before the end of today. Sections of the Montreal and White Hall main roads have collapsed and will require a medium to long term solution. A detour route has been created for the White Hall main road, while efforts will be made over the next few days to carry-out temporary works on the Montreal corridor.
Mr. Shaw says in Portland, the roadway from Seaman’s Valley to Millbank is now impassable. The roadway has been severed by a massive breakaway in the community of Friday.
The NWA Communications Manager says efforts are now being made to engineer a temporary solution for the persons who use this roadway, which is without an alternative.
In the meantime, the NWA continues to monitor the stretch from Balcaress to Wakefield, where landslides have been repeatedly blocking the roadway for the past two days.
Mr. Shaw says the NWA hopes to have all affected roadways in St. Thomas fully reopened by Thursday. Six road sections were either blocked or reduced to single lane in the parish. All the corridors have been opened to at least single lane access.
