The National Works Agency’s parish teams were kept busy overnight into this morning undertaking clean-up activities along some critical roadways in central and eastern parishes which have been affected by heavy rainfall over the last three days.
NWA’s Communication and Customer Services Manager, Stephen Shaw, says these efforts have resulted in the clearing of some major corridors including the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway and the Harbour View to Bull Bay roadway in St. Andrew as well as the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine.
Mr. Shaw is however urging motorists to proceed with caution along affected roadways as it continues to rain, sometimes heavily, in some of these areas. The persistent rainfall has hampered the pace of clean-up activities in hilly terrain such as the Papine to Redlight and Gordon Town to Guava Ridge corridors in St. Andrew, Bartons to Ginger Ridge at Blue Hole in St. Catherine and Kellits to Colonel Ridge at Brandon Hill in Clarendon due to muddy conditions and falling material.
The roadways are now open to single lane traffic and the parish teams are awaiting more favourable weather to re-enter these areas to complete the cleaning and full reopening of corridors.
While some emergency drain cleaning works were carried out on culverts along the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway and the Bog Walk Gorge, detailed assessments are now being done to determine the full extent of drain cleaning and rehabilitation works required to prevent a recurrence of the flooding experienced along some roadways.
Meanwhile, the NWA is alerting motorists to flooding along a section of the Holland Bamboo roadway in St. Elizabeth as well as the reduction of the Bamboo to Brown’s Town corridor in St. Ann to single lane at Thatchfield as a result of a fallen tree.
The Agency urges motorists to proceed cautiously and not to attempt to cross flooded roadways.
