Accident-prone St Ann bridge to be widened

Locals are welcoming a plan to widen the bridge in Borobridge, St Ann, which is located along the main thoroughfare from the community leading to Cave Valley.

This planned works was disclosed by Everald Warmington, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, after a tour of several roads in St Ann South Western on Wednesday.

A local shop owner, whose establishment is located near the single-lane bridge, said the area is particularly risky to traverse, noting that there are almost daily near-accident misses as many visitors use the route and are unfamiliar with it.

She said that the drivers of trucks belonging to one company were also not exercising sufficient caution in using the bridge.

“Dem just a come ’round very swiftly. Dem nah slow down, even though dem know the bridge,” the woman, who did not want her name published, told The Gleaner.

“Sometime all two vehicle a go through one time and lick off mirror and dem something deh,” she added, noting the level of impatience by some drivers.

Locals also lamented that the overgrown vegetation was also causing the accidents as it obscures just how narrow the bridge really is. They are calling on the Government to address this issue as well.

Resident Ata Banton stated that with the area experiencing occasional water lock-offs, those who bathe in the river below the bridge – colloquially known as the Santy River – often have to flee to safety whenever vehicles veer off the road.

“Sometime di vehicle dem weh a pass, dem lick, and sometime you have to go under the bridge ‘cause we nuh want it drop over deh pan we,” he said.

The locals all agreed that hearing of plans to widen the bridge “feels good”, expressing hope that this would put an end to its accident-prone status.

“I wouldn’t mind if it fix before any serious accident happen,” one resident said.

After touring the area with St Ann South Western Member of Parliament Zavia Mayne, representatives from the National Works Agency and other officials, Warmington agreed that the roadway was too narrow.

“Coming through, if you don’t know the place, you don’t know that a bridge is there,” he said, also acknowledging the concern that the overgrown vegetation also making it difficult to see the narrowing roadway on approaching the structure, adding to the safety risk.

“What we have to do now is to ask the technical team in the ministry to rescope [and] to expand that (the bridge) to two lanes,” he said without disclosing a timeline.

Warmington stated that the Thatch Walk bridge in Aenon Town, another single-lane structure, would receive an additional set of railing to improve the safety of users as only one side of railing has been installed.

In discussions with Warmington, Mayne lamented that there were far too many accidents at the location and asked the minister to consider widening the bridge, adding a stop light, and posting a narrow bridge sign to help address the safety concerns.

“We have had several accidents. Lives have been lost, vehicles have gone over. I wrote you and asked for an expansion,” he said to Warmington.

Warmington, however, rejected the request, arguing that drivers should display more caution and patience when utilising the single-lane structure.

“We nah expand nothing yah so. The person coming from over there, him stop or this man stop,” he said of traffic.

When questioned by The Gleaner about the Thatch Walk Bridge expansion request, Mayne said that the minister was someone with technical knowledge and had viewed and made the suggestions necessary to address the problem.

Mayne added that Warmington “was certainly disgusted by the fact that the powers that be sought to rail just one side of the bridge, recognising that it is a risk to the travelling public”.

The touring party also visited Laughton Town, Borobridge, Cuffie Ridge, Mount Moriah, Battersea, Cave Valley, and other areas.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com