The National Works Agency (NWA) is now working on a designed solution for a section of the Belmont main road in Westmoreland. The main road which links the town of Black River, St. Elizabeth to Savanna-la-mar, Westmoreland has been reduced to single lane traffic, after a section of the embankment on which the road was built failed.
Checks by NWA technical officers revealed that a section of the seawall was damaged and that the road was undermined. The team found a cave had existed under the road. This was exposed by heavy rainfall and strong wave action that impacted the parish two weeks ago.
Community Relations Officer at NWA’s Western Region, Janel Ricketts, says that to date the Agency has completed a thorough technical assessment of the damage and is now working on a design to repair the affected section of the roadway.
In the interim a temporary detour corridor is being constructed, and it is anticipated that this detour route will be in use by the end of the week. The corridor has been cordoned off and the necessary warning signs erected.
Ms. Ricketts explains that as soon as traffic is moved onto the temporary road, more extensive checks will be done on the road embankment, now being utilized. The remainder of the seawall is also to be assessed for any weakness, as it is directly impacted by the wave action.
Motorists are being urged to exercise due care in using the corridor.
