THE National Works Agency (NWA) yesterday announced that it had fast-tracked the clearance of eight roads in St Thomas and St Andrew which were rendered impassible by the recent heavy rains and that these should be reopened by Saturday.

The roads scheduled for immediate clearance are the road to Somerset; Morant Bay to Wilmington; Llandewey to Windsor Forest; and Bath to Barrett Gap in St Thomas.

In addition, the Norbrook to Woodford road; Ten Miles main Bridge to Bull Bay area: Guava Ridge to Silver Hill gap and Guava Ridge to Mahogany Vale roads in St Andrew should also be cleared within the next three days.

A statement issued by the NWA explained that these roads were singled out for priority attention because they provided access to several communities where people have been marooned.

The agency said all remaining blocked roads should be cleared by October 12.

At the same time, the NWA issued an advisory saying that the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine would remain closed to ensure the safety of the travelling public. Alternative routes have been identified through Junction, St Mary and Sligoville, St Catherine.

In St Elizabeth, rising waters have also blocked the New Market to Carmel road. The alternative route is through Kept to Kilmarnock to Carmel by-pass. Middle Quarters to Jacks Gate is also flooded and the alternative route is the New Market to Savannah by-pass.

Motorists are being advised to proceed with caution when travelling through these areas.

Meanwhile, roads which have already been cleared or opened to facilitate single lane traffic in St Andrew and St Mary include:

* Mavis Bank (Violet Bank);

* Skyline Drive;

* Cooperidge to Irish Town;

* Mannings Hill Road;

* Higate to Richmond;

* Buff Bay Valley; and

* Broadgate.

The rains, associated with Tropical Cyclone Lili, also did extensive damage to the National Irrigation Commission’s (NIC’s) systems, the worst affected being those in Spring Village and Free Town.

“All the pumps serving this district were submerged in water,” the NIC said in a statement yesterday. “The Bowers pump has been put back into operation while the commission is making every effort to repair the others in the shortest possible time.”

A section of the cement asbestos pipeline in Grove, on the Old Harbour road, was washed away, while in Braco, the pipe to Advanced Farms was also washed out and the inlet to the pumping station needs to be cleared of debris, the NIC said.

In the Rio Cobre district, there was a 40-foot land slippage into the Caymanas Canal which caused flooding in the area. This has since been cleared.

Flooding also occurred in mid-Clarendon, while in Yallahs, St Thomas, the inlet from the river to the Albion Canal system is blocked due to debris, which the NIC said would be “cleared very shortly”.