Bog Walk Gorge to be closed for two weeks

KINGSTON — The Bog Walk Gorge, St. Catherine, will be closed for two weeks, beginning June 1, to facilitate pipe laying works by the National Water Commission (NWC).

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Works Agency (NWA), Patrick Wong, made the disclosure at a press briefing at the Ministry of Transport and Works, Maxfield Avenue, Kingston, on Thursday May 26.

Mr. Wong said that the NWA was working assiduously to ensure that the alternative routes are available to road users.

“What we are doing first, is trying to bring the alternative roads up to a certain standard to facilitate the travelling public,” he said.

The Bog Walk Gorge is the main corridor of economic activity between Kingston, St. Catherine and the North Coast. However, whenthe gorge is closed, two frequently used alternative routes will be available- through Sligoville and Barry.

Mr. Wong noted that the closure gorge was necessary to facilitate the final leg of the pipe laying project. He admitted that the works should have been completed from the end of March, but assured that it would be executed with the greatest of urgency.    

“We’re hoping to get them out of there, so we can restore the gorge to the travelling public without any major disruptions,” he said.

The closure will allow replacement of old asbestos pipes running through the area, as part of the US$210 million upgrading of the water supply system to the Kingston Metropolitan Area, St. Catherine and some rural areas, under the Jamaica Water Sector Improvement Project (JWSIP).

The JWSIP, the largest improvement project to be undertaken by the NWC, will significantly improve water supply to targeted areas, providing an additional 20 million gallons per day.

By ATHALIAH REYNOLDS, JIS Reporter