HADDINGTON, Hanover

Fed up with the deplorable state of the Haddington to New Milns stretch of roadway in Hanover, area residents have pooled their resources to repair the roughly three-mile-long thoroughfare themselves.

The residents say the roadway, which they claimed is under the control of the National Works Agency’s (NWA), has badly been deteriorated since it was last repaired in the 1980s.

The residents claim that some of their neighbours have left the area due to the deplorable state of the road. And those who decide to remain, find it extremely difficult to get transportation as a result of the reluctance of taxi operators to ply the once-popular route.

The project, which is being sponsored by lawmen at the Sandy Bay Police Station; Powell’s Hardware and Enterprise in Haddington; the Haddington Christ Gospel Assembly; and the New Milns Bible Way Apostolic Church is set to get underway on the weekend.

Other sponsors include: Stanford and Sons Photo Service in Hopewell; the Haddington Community Development Committee; Temple Heights Citizens Association; and Member of Parliament for the area Dr DK Duncan.

Chairman of the Haddington Community Development Committee and Haddington Citizens Association, Dewayne Thomas told the Observer West that community members are hoping that the state agencies will also come on board once the work has started.

“We saw it possible to actually come as a group and get this road fixed, because it is from the ’80s it has not been repaired. We took this initiative to fix the road somewhat until we get assistance from the various state agencies to actually pave (asphalt) it,” he explained.

The group has so far obtained three truck loads of marl and 12 bags of cement and other materials to begin repairs to the roadway and to rehabilitate some drains in the area.

According to Thomas, roughly $80,000 has so far been contributed towards the initiative.

Additionally, area residents have pledged to volunteer their labour, he said.

The Haddington to New Milns thoroughfare links several communities in Hanover, including Chester Castle, Ramble and Hopewell, as well a number of districts in the parish of St James.

— Anthony Lewis