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NWA Urging Motorists to Obey Warning and Other Road Signs

October 8, 2004

The Full Story

The National Works Agency (NWA) is urging the motoring public to obey warning and other road signs along the nation’s thoroughfares.
In an interview with JIS News, Petra-keane Williams, Senior Communication Officer at the NWA said although the agency closed the Sandy River to Macknie (via Rhoden Hall) main road in Clarendon and posted signs to that effect, motorists have re-opened the road and were still traversing the thoroughfare.
“There is great risk involved in such an exercise, and the practice should be discouraged,” Miss Williams said.
“Normally the width of the road is 20 feet. There is only six feet of roadway left after the breakaway and people are driving on it. Even trucks are driving there, so we have to caution the motoring public to protect them from themselves,” she added.
Miss Williams said there was no alternative route in this instance, and the NWA parish teams were working assiduously to remove the huge boulder that was blocking the roadway.
Access to this road should be restored by Monday, October 11, she pointed out.
In St. Elizabeth, the Ginger Hill to Pisgah main road has been closed because of a huge breakaway that occurred two weeks ago, informed Miss Williams. Motorists are therefore advised to use the alternative route, through Mocho to Springfield into Pisgah, or Four Paths to Springfield into Pisgah.
The Suttons Bridge, located on the lower Chapelton to Rock River main road in Clarendon has been closed because sections of the wing wall and the approach to the bridge have collapsed. Motorists travelling to Chapelton may use the alternative route along the Suttons to Turners/Four Paths road, then proceed into Chapelton.
In St. Catherine, the Glengoffe to Mount Industry road is closed to vehicular traffic. However, the NWA is currently constructing a retaining wall along the roadway with a view to re-opening the road as soon as possible.
Over in the north-eastern section of the island, a number of thoroughfares have to be closed because of land slippages and breakaways.
“In St. Thomas, for instance, the Mahogany Vale to Windsor Forest and the Petersfield to Yallahs via Danvers Pen main roads are closed. This is because a ford at Goat Ridge in Windsor Forest is damaged and a section of the Petersfield road has broken away. Motorists travelling from Petersfield to Yallahs may use the alternative route through Lloyds/Lowe Mountain into Coley/Lowe Mountain, and then through to Danvers Pen, and into Yallahs,” explained Miss Williams.
The Lucky Hill to Sandwood main road in St. Mary, and the Cave Valley Land Settlement Parish Council road in St. Ann have also been closed, due to breakaways on both roads, which have rendered them impassable. Motorists travelling to Sandwood from Lucky Hill may use the alternative route through Two River to Freetown and into Sandwood.
Additionally, a land slippage along the Gutter Head Parish Council road in Portland has led to its closure.
“The Agency’s technical teams are currently undertaking assessments of these affected areas and we have dispatched heavy duty equipment to begin clean-up exercises on those roadways,” she informed JIS News.

Last Updated: October 8, 2004

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