GEORGIA, Hanover — RESIDENTS of Georgia, just two miles outside the Hanover’s capital, Lucea, have renewed their call on the authorities for the construction of a bridge that will connect their community with other sections of the parish.

According to the residents, the absence of a bridge has been creating undue hardships for them, particularly when the river in the community becomes inspate.

“When the river comes down nobody can cross it. We have to go around the long road to get to the district,” Eustace James, a resident of the once vibrant Georgia community, told the Observer West on Tuesday.

“It’s serious, very serious here… we are suffering badly and so we need them (the authorities) to build a bridge for us,” added the 68 year-old James, who has been living in Georgia for more than four decades.

At present, residents desirous of leaving or entering the Georgia, have to do so by walking across the treacherous Lucea East River or travel another three miles along a narrow, lonely and heavily vegetated roadway, using a dilapidated Bailey bridge.

When the Observer West visited the area on Tuesday several residents, including students and babies were seen — many with footwear in their hands — making their way from Georgia on foot via the Lucea East River.

According to Albert Lee — the councillor for the area — the Georgia bridge which provides the main link for accessing the community was badly damaged during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

He said, however, that despite its poor state, the structure was still being used by the area residents.

This he added, continued until about two years ago when the metal sections of the structure were reportedly removed by alleged scrap metal thieves.

“The residents said that two years ago some scrap metal people came to the area and told them that a new bridge was going to be constructed at the present location but before that could be done they would have to remove the metals that were there. So after they removed the metals, the residents realised that they were conned because the men were in fact scrap metal thieves,” Lee explained.

Since then, he said, the residents have been “risking” their lives crossing the river, as they move back and forth from Georgia.

“It a very dangerous situation now because when they (residents) are crossing everybody has to remove their socks and shoes and whenever the water is high some have to pull up their skirts and pants in order to cross. It is a very serious condition and is a potential source of danger for the people who are living in the area,” he argued.

Lee pointed out that Georgia was once a thriving farming community and was big on sports.

“The people used to do a lot of farming in Georgia. They planted yams, sugarcane bananas and they were involved in a lot of sporting activities especially cricket ad football,” he explained.

The community, he added however, is now slowly dying, due to the absence of the bridge.

“Scores of residents have left the community in recent years because of the existing situation… they just can’t cope with it. Infact, the population of the community now stands at about 300 and there used to many, many more people living there,” he noted.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor who is serving his first term in office, said over the past few years he has made representation to Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry for a bridge, but his plea has apparently fallen on deft ears.

He said he would again be writing to the minister, outlining the need for the structure. But Communications and Customer Care Manager at the National Works Agency (NWA), Stephen Shaw told the Observer West yesterday that the agency has no plans to erect a bridge in the area.

“There is no plan to replace that bridge,” Shaw said, adding that the residents will have to use the alternate route to get to the community.

He noted, however, that the NWA was willing to “take a look on the alternate route with a view of seeing what can be done to assist the residents”.