Canyons for roads in Harbour Heights
Published:Wednesday | November 11, 2020 | 12:05 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
Residents of Harbour Heights in east Kingston are collectively breathing a sigh of relief that the torrential rains which battered the island for weeks, leaving in its wake a trail of disaster, have abated.
They are demanding urgent attention to one section of the community that has seen floodwaters slicing two of their main roads in half, rendering them impassable to vehicular traffic and putting at risk the young and elderly in the event of emergencies. Balkan Avenue and Talmania Street are completely inaccessible to motor vehicles.
Phillip ‘Sarge’ Edwards complained that the weeks of rainfall were devastating. While he acknowledges that the authorities have to wait until the weather clears up for corrective measures to be undertaken, he wants to action sooner than later.
“I want the authorities to come and fix the destroyed roadway. As it is now, I fear the worst, especially for the elderly and pregnant women in the community.
Limited access
“If the police need access, the other route around will take them at least an hour to get around here,” Edwards said, pointing to the chasm on Balkan Avenue.
He said that gushing water “ripped up the approximately two-year-old road surface like foil paper,” with some sections up to four feet deep.
Marie Wilson, who has friends in the community, is a frequent visitor and is troubled by the state of the roadway.
“This is no road; this is a canyon, and the member of parliament should come and at least look at it, because children and old people live in the community, and it’s not safe as it is. People can fall into these holes and break a leg or an arm,” Wilson told The Gleaner.
Shop owner Randel Ramsay blames shoddy workmanship for the deterioration of corridors in Harbour Heights. Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced last week that the Government is considering a reallocation of funds for repairs as the country’s flood bill continues to climb in the aftermath of a hammering from tropical storms Zeta and Eta.