Cromarty Grove residents groan over bad roads
Published:Friday | June 5, 2020 | 12:07 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
THE LAST time the roadways in Cromarty Grove, Spanish Town, were fixed was in the 1990s; that’s more than two decades ago.
Now the badly deteriorated road surfaces are a shadow of their former state, littered with massive potholes and in need of urgent attention.
Residents and motorised users, such as taxi operators, are venting their frustration in the direction of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation (SCMC) for its “failure to respect the people”.
Cromarty Drive, in particular, is a disaster for road users and an eyesore for residents.
Secretary of the Cromarty Grove Citizens’ Association, Joylette Stewart, told The Gleaner that money for the road’s improvement was handed over to the SCMC last March.
“They had promised since then that the roadworks would have started, but up to now, there has been no work. Each time we call, we are hearing something different,” Stewart said.
It is estimated that it will cost the SCMC between $40 and $60 million to complete the road rehabilitation works.
“The money was sourced by the National Housing Trust (NHT) and handed over to the SCMC as the scheme is really a NHT scheme constructed for occupancy in 1980,” Stewart said.
“But while we are waiting, the dust is killing us, and the water, when it rains, is getting closer to where I live, and I am worried because the hurricane season is now upon us. When it rains, I have to use water boots to get out of my home,” she pointed out.
St Catherine Municipal Corporation Chief Executive Officer Andrew Griffiths confirmed what residents were saying about funding, but told The Gleaner that work will not commence any time soon, as the procurement process to find a suitable contractor is still ongoing.
URGED PATIENCE
He noted, however, that residents deserve proper roads, but urged a little more patience to accommodate the process.
In the meantime, chartered bus operator Devon Shaw, who routinely travels throughout the community to pick up call centre employees, will have a lot more journeys on what he calls the “worse road in Spanish Town”.
It is so bad that other bus operators terminate their journey at the entrance to the housing scheme.
“Me a tell you say the whole of it bad; it is disgraceful that they have good people having to drive on this road,” Shaw said, while attempting to manoeuvre his way out of the crater in front of him.
Senior citizen Yvonne Lungrin, who is in Jamaica visiting her husband who has made the community home for the last 10 years, said the vexing situation is getting worse with each passing rain.
“That is when it gets worse because the muddy water builds up in front of my house due to that huge crater, and gushes through the yard and many times end up on the verandah.
“Drains are needed as my yard is no drain. I hope they are going to fix them differently or else the problem will return,” said Lungrin.