MONTEGO BAY, St James

Despite the implementation of several road improvement projects, residents across the western region will have to contend with worsening road conditions for a while longer.

Checks by the Observer West revealed that several billion dollars are needed to bring the region’s road network, which has been battered by numerous storms over the past few years, to a satisfactory level.

However, the funds allocated by state agencies to effect the necessary repairs are woefully inadequate.

In the parish of Trelawny for example, it is estimated that roughly $1.2 billion is needed to address the parish’s parochial roads.

“There are bad roads in all of the (nine) divisions in the parish,” chairman of the Trelawny Parish Council, Colin Gager told the Observer West earlier this week.

He said at least 60 per cent of the parochial roads are in dire need of attention, adding that the allocation the local body receives for road maintenance and rehabilitation is “a drop in the bucket”.

But Gager said inspite of this, the local authority has devised strategies to ameliorate some of the poor road conditions.

“What we have done is to make representation to the Minister of Agriculture and the to MP’s in the parish (Marisa Dalrymple Philibert and Dr Patrick Harris) for some money to carry out some of the repairs,” Gager explained.

He said so far, the initiative has borne fruit, as the agriculture ministry has already allocated $9 million to repair four roads in the parish.

The MPs he added, have also agreed to use portions of their Community Development Fund (CDF) to repair roads.

“We are thankful for that because it is a big boost but when compared with the amount of bad roads that we have, it is a little drop in the bucket… but we are still grateful,” Gager emphasised.

In neighbouring St James, chairman of the local authority, Charles Sinclair said it would take “millions and millions” of dollars to bring the roads under the control of the council to a satisfactory level.

“The roads are in a terrible state. Little or no maintenance has been done on them for many, many years,” he stressed.

He pointed out however, that the local body has been working with Members of Parliament Dr Horace Chang (North West St James); Ed Bartlett (East Central St James) and Clive Mullings (West Central St James) to tackle some of the deplorable roads in their respective constituencies.

“….. as a result of this quite a number of parochial roads are being done by the parish council through these members of parliament,” said Sinclair. “In North West (St James) for example, we have started Earlds Drive and there is Morningside Drive that should be done very shortly. In Ed Bartlett’s constituency, Buck Toe Lane in the Salt Spring area will be done and in Mr Mullings’ constituency, Catherine Hall is being done.”

Sinclair who is also mayor of Montego Bay added that the council has allocated $25 million to undertake the rehabilitation of roads in the Westgreen community of that resort city.

“The funds for that project was negotiated through the UDC (Urban Development Corporation),” he said.

The council, Sinclair noted, has also dedicated two thirds – roughly $3 million – of its monthly allocation from the parochial funds to road improvement and maintenance in a bid to improve road conditions in the parish.

Lucea’s mayor Lloyd Hill, said while his administration undertakes road repairs on an ongoing basis, the work done is still not adequate to address the deplorable road conditions in Hanover.

“We try to do the worst part of each road, but by the time you finish one bad road your (three-year) term might expire,” said Hill, who is serving his second stint as chairman of the Hanover Parish Council. “It is really a very difficult situation when it comes to roads because the amount we have at our disposal to spend on them cannot make a significant dent,” he argued.

He identified the High Level road in Sandy Bay, Cascade to Patty Hill and the Mount Catherine to Medley roads, as some of the many roadways in the parish in need of urgent attention.

In Westmoreland, the Belle Isle main road in Grange Hill -which was the scene of a massive protest last month – Dause Lane in Sheffield; Nampriel; Strawberry; Friendship; Content; Grange and Williamsfield are among the many roads that have fallen apart in the parish.

“Bad roads are a major problem for me in the constituency,” Central Westmoreland member of parliament, Roger Clarke told the Observer West.

Mayor of Savanna-La- Mar, Bertel Moore estimates that at least 60 per cent of parochial roads in the parish are dilapidated.

He too argued that allocations from the Parochial Revenue Fund are insufficient to alleviate the poor road conditions.

The situation is hardly any different in St Elizabeth – the lack of resources have prevented the local authority from undertaking any substantial road work.

But communications consultant in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Reginald Allen said yesterday that his ministry has undertaken several projects in the western region that are geared to improve road conditions.

He cited :

. a $1.4-billion repair job for the problem – plagued Bogue mainroad in Montego Bay;

. a $10-million road project on the Adelphi to Kent main road in St James;

. a $20-million bushing and drain cleaning project on the Negril to Montego Bay corridor, and

. a flood mitigation project in the Treasure Beach area of St Elizabeth.

Allen also noted that more than $150 million will be spent on several road improvement projects in Westmoreland over the next three years.

“Close to $80 million will also be spent across the five western parishes over the next six weeks to carry out a patching programme,” he added.

The authorities have been severely criticised in recent years by road users, for not addressing the deplorable state of roads in the region.

And several demonstrations have been mounted by angry residents in the region to protest against the alleged neglect of the road network.