State Minister Azan Tour Roads in Rio Grande Valley

Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Richard Azan, toured several roads in the Rio Grande Valley of Portland this week, to get a first hand view of their condition.
Among the areas toured were Rivers View, Belleview, Comfort Castle, Mill Bank, Moore Town and Cornwall Barracks.
The tour also afforded the State Minister the opportunity to inspect work being done to construct a Bailey bridge at Cornwall Barracks, to replace the original structure which was destroyed by flooding in September.
The condition of the roads has been a major concern to the residents of the Rio Grande Valley, affecting public transportation in the area.
In an interview with JIS News after the tour, Mr. Azan said he fully understood the difficulties the people of the Rio Grande Valley were experiencing as a consequence of the condition of the roads.
He said the Ministry would be examining the options available for addressing the situation over the long term, and pointed out that plans were in place to use river shingles to level the surface of the roadways, in an effort to bring about a temporary relief for motorists and other road users.
Mr. Azan said he was pleased with the swiftness with which the bridge project was being implemented, as the structure was critical in linking Cornwall Barracks to other communities in the Rio Grande Valley area.
He also pointed out that a contract for the Old Alligator Church Bridge in Seaman’s Valley would be signed shortly, with work scheduled to commence soon afterwards.
Accompanying Mr. Azan on the tour were Member of Parliament for East Portland, Dr. Donald Rhodd; Mayor of Port Antonio, Councillor Benny White and technical officers of the National Works Agency (NWA).