MOTORISTS will be able to use the newly-constructed Cassia Park Bridge in St Andrew by early next week.

According to Courtney Shaw, site contractor for YP Seaton — the company contracted to carry out the construction of the bridge — only minor work is left to be completed and all forms of traffic will be able to traverse the bridge that replaced a ford in the Sandy Gully.

“People can start using the bridge by next week. All the paving work will be completed by the end of the week and we will only have some minor work to do. It will be ready,” Shaw told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday..

Work on the bridge had started under the previous Jamaica Labour Party Government’s Jamaica Infrastructure Development Programme (JDIP) in 2010 but was halted soon after the general elections in December 2011 which was won handsomely by the People’s National Party.

Work resumed on the bridge last year.

The Cassia Park ford served as a major connector between Red Hills Road and Molynes Road and eased the burden of traffic pile ups during peak hours in those areas. Its closure resulted in long delays during peak hour traffic.

The ford, however, proved dangerous during heavy rains, washing away vehicles and taking a few lives.

News that the bridge would soon be opened went down with Winston Blair, who lives on the upper section of Cassia Park Avenue.

“Man I can’t wait. After them close the ford I would have to drive on Red Hills Road and take Cassiadene Avenue to get back to the Four Roads (the intersection of Molynes and Waltham Park Roads) just to get to Moreton Park where I pick up an associate in the morning. Now I can just slip over the bridge and get where I am going much easier and in less time,” Blair said.

The construction of the Cassia Park as well another in Queensborough, also in the Corporate Area, were projected to cost US$3.3 million. However, that figure may rise after the contractors were instructed by the National Works Agency (NWA) to build two additional protective walls at the Cassia Park Bridge.

“The walls they said is to protect a house in case a vehicle careens over the side of the bridge,” NWA spokesman Stephen Shaw said.

Work is not going so smoothly on the Queensborough Bridge which was opened to vehicular traffic late last year as rival gangs from the communities of Jackson Town and Ackee Walk have long been fighting over rights to access work on the project.

The gang feud has resulted in one murder last month and a number of shooting incidents, the police have confirmed.

The constant feuding has forced the contractors to close the bridge during the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

“We cannot leave ourselves open to injury so we took the decision to close the bridge until we finish the minor work that is left. Both gangs have been doing drive-by shootings and we have to think about the safety of the workers,” said Shaw. He is, however, expecting the bridge to be opened by the end of the week.

Head of the St Andrew South Police Division Superintendent Delroy Hewitt confirmed that violence was causing concern in the area which borders the St Andrew South and St Andrew North Police Division.

“I can confirm that there have been tensions in the area and we are vigourously investigating. As far as I know the tensions started over work on the project. That is what they are fighting for,” Hewitt said.