A danger waiting to happen

THE RESUMPTION of face-to-face classes for some schools has residents in sections of Clarendon North Western on tenterhooks.

Residents in Grantham, Peckham and surrounding communities say children are at great risk, citing possible dangers amid several breakaways across the Clarendon North Western constituency. They are also appealing to motorists who traverse the area to reduce their speed and be on the lookout for children.

Householders lament that vehicular traffic has been adversely impacted, as roads have been reduced to single lanes since rains associated with Tropical Storm Ida pelted the constituency in August.

Clarendon North Western Member of Parliament Phillip Henriques told The Gleaner on Monday that work to correct the breakaways in the Grantham and Kilsyth communities has been approved by the National Works Agency (NWA). “I understand that the approvals are in the procurement stages at this time and will be effected as soon as the process is complete,” Henriques said.

One resident, Gary Bailey, cited the breakaway at the Rock River bridge in Grantham as a danger waiting to happen. Bailey said he had witnessed an accident involving a car with students plunge over the bridge years ago, and fears history could repeat itself, if work to correct the breakaway is not carried out soon.

“At this spot nobody never die, but them bruck up, an’ a that them a go make happen from here so to further round to Peckham crossing. I would want something to be done here,” he said. “The children them rude and them will drop over deh ‘cause them a ramp and will drop over [in the river],” said another resident.

Taxi operator Tyrone, who plies the Frankfield to Spaldings route, said the road conditions are life threatening to motorists, particularly those without knowledge of the breakaways.

“The road is very dangerous. Several times me buck on vehicle, and a fi mek sudden brake just fi avoid from hitting one another. If strange people come by and don’t know the road, you an’ them buck up roun’ there. Accident can happen, one a them can drop over [the bridge],” Tyrone said.

A passenger who was aboard a taxi expressed discomfort about traversing the road. “A full time them rectify it. Me scared of it when the rain fall and the river come up close to it and the vehicles a fe keep pan one side of the road, and we nuh feel comfortable,” he said.

Hugh Whittick was among a group of residents who chided political representatives for years of neglect. He said the authorities should consider some permanent infrastructural redress to flooding in the area, as the Rio Minho poses a grave threat to lives and livelihood whenever there is heavy or continuous rainfall.

“We live here so long and the river always a come ‘cross over the road and we need a wall to protect us because when the river come over the road it flood out shops and the bars, [and] we need the road to fix from Frankfield to Spaldings, because there is so much breakaway on the roadside because of the river,” said Whittick.

Damage caused to the constituency by Tropical Storm Ida was estimated at hundreds of millions.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com