Alternative Route To Be Provided While Repairs Are Undertaken On Suttons Bridge

A temporary alternative route will be opened for residents while repairs are fast-tracked on the Suttons Bridge in Clarendon. 

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Clarendon North Central, Hon. Robert Morgan, made the disclosure when he met with residents in the area on Friday (April 28). 

The Suttons Bridge, which connects Rock River to Chapelton and other communities, was severely damaged during heavy rains last October. 

Minister Morgan said that the temporary route will ensure safe travel for children, while the “major repair” of the bridge is being undertaken. 

“We are trying to fast track the repair of this [retaining] wall, which is a major project. The concerns that the residents had were risks to children, and we have negotiated for a [road] in the community,” he noted. 

He told the residents that a contract has been signed for rehabilitation of the Ennis Hill road, which will serve as the  alternative route, and that work should be completed in four to six weeks.  

Assistant Clarendon Parish Manager for the  National Works Agency  (NWA), James Stewart, told the residents that several estimates have been done for the repair of the bridge and the retaining wall. 

He noted that due to the geology of the area, the soil is unsteady, and so care has to be taken to ensure that the infrastructure, once repaired, is not compromised. 

Earlier in the day, persons in the community had gathered in the streets to call for action to fix the damaged bridge, which they said, was not safe for children and other residents to use. 

“We knew that the residents were disgruntled, and they have now expressed their satisfaction with the plans that have been outlined to them, and things are back to normal,” Minister Morgan said.