St. James Bridge to Be Completed Before New School Year

Reconstruction of the Farm Road to Valley Heights bridge in St. James is under way, with completion expected before the upcoming school year.

The St. James Municipal Corporation, which is spearheading the project, estimates the rehabilitation will cost approximately $13 million.

The bridge sustained damage on July 2, a day before Hurricane Beryl’s arrival.

Residents had set fire to debris under the bridge to clear the water channel, compromising the drainage system beneath and weakening the bridge structure.

The bridge eventually collapsed under the weight of the fire unit which responded to the fire.

In an interview with JIS News on July 25, Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, said the project “is in the excavation phase and channeling”.

“In the end, we will realise a new and significantly improved concrete bridge to the tune of $13 million, which will benefit well over 30,000 people at the end of construction,” he said.

The previous drainage system utilised the high-density Polyethylene (PE) Advance Drainage System (ADS) culvert pipe but will now be replaced by a reinforced concrete box culvert to withstand heavy loads and resist corrosion.

The Mayor shared that certain materials will be employed, enabling the rehabilitation process to finish within an eight-week timeline.

“We are working tirelessly to ensure that we have ease of passage at that point in time and that we get the roadway back to a level of normalcy quickly,” he added.