Parish Council Roads in St. Thomas Being Cleared

Parish Council roads in St. Thomas, which were blocked due to the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, are being cleared by the Council.
A team from the Road and Works Department of the Council began clearing the roads on August 30.
The work, which is expected to be completed by the end of next week, include the clearing of landslides and debris from the roadway; the cutting and removal of fallen trees; and the filling of gaps in roads that were washed out.
Acting Secretary/Manager at the St. Thomas Parish Council, Naudia Crosskill, told JIS that work would be done in all the 10 Parish Council Divisions that are accessible to vehicular traffic.
Miss Crosskill said that currently, she is unable to give an estimate of the damage done to the roadway. However, she said the Council is using its parochial fund to clear the roads.
“We are unable to say how much it will cost just now and no money has been allocated as yet from the authorities, so we have to be using what is available to us at the Council,” she added.
The Acting Secretary/Manager pointed out that work would not be carried out in some areas, where the roadway has been completely destroyed. She mentioned the Springbank Road in the Bath Division, which had been eroded by the river.
“The river has taken the entire road. It was already in half and since Gustav, the river has taken the entire road, so no mode of transportation can take place,” she added.
Other roads that are inaccessible to vehicular traffic are Mt. Lebanus, Georgia and Springfield.
Earlier this year, the Council had embarked on a special drain cleaning and maintenance programme in preparation for the hurricane season. Some $6 million was allocated by the Council for the programme, which began in mid-April and ended in May.