THE National Works Agency (NWA) was yesterday trying to clear roads in the parishes of St Mary and Portland, which were block by landslides, following heavy rains over the weekend that caused flooding in several areas.

Stephen Shaw, the agency’s manager for communication and customer services, said the flood waters washed down silt, scoured surfaces and collapsed retaining walls.

In Portland, the main road between Hope Bay and the Rio Grande Bridge was inundated in the vicinity of the Sommerset Falls. Operators of vehicles were advised to be extremely careful in using that corridor as vehicles could stall in the body of water.

Silt also affected the roadway from Boundbrook to St Margaret’s Bay, in the vicinity of Snow Hall, while the corridor from Schoolhouse Corner to Chepstowe was severely scoured.

The NWA said it also received reports of landslides affecting the main road from Durham Gap to Hope Bay, while the Forty Acres parochial road was impacted by flooding due to blocked drains.

In St Mary, the main road between Jack’s River and Little Bay in the vicinity of Jack’s River and the corridor from Trinity to Little Bay were impassable.

Shaw said the Mason Hall roadway at Days Mountain was also impassable after flood waters severely scoured the road, leaving deep trenches that could not be manoeuvred by motorists.

Sections of the Airy Hill road that leads to Mason Hall have were destroyed by flood waters, while main road from Little Bay to Spring Head was also impassable up to late yesterday because of a collapsed retaining wall. Sections of the corridor, said the NWA, were badly scoured.

Shaw said NWA officers were monitoring the situation in the affected communities and have initiated response procedures in order to minimise the inconveniences to affected persons.