The opening of the Caymanas to Mammee Bay leg of Highway 2000 finally gave Jamaicans travelling between Kingston and the North Coast a smooth and fast alternative to Bog Walk Gorge, scene of many deaths, either from road mishaps or floodings, and the much -feared Flat Bridge.

“Never again will flooding of the Bog Walk Gorge be the cause of delays and danger for the travelling public,” said the then minister of transport and works, Dr Omar Davies, when the Angels to Linstead leg of the highway was opened to the public in February this year.

The gorge often becomes treacherous when heavy rain sets the Rio Cobre in spate, resulting in flooding of the road. But even when there is no rain, many travellers fear crossing the narrow, single-lane Flat Bridge which has no rails.

Built by the Spaniards in the 17th century, Flat Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Jamaica.

Located in north central St Catherine, the bridge served as the main connection between the north and south coasts.

Flat bridge is believed to have been built to replace the first bridge, which was constructed of wood and was washed away in a flood. In 1770, the first road was cut through the gorge, making it one of Jamaica’s oldest roads in the western hemisphere. Though the exact date of construction is unknown, historians speculate that the bridge was definitely built after 1724.

The bridge was made of cut stone and mortar, materials that have caused it to withstand several floods. Edward Long, in his book

History of Jamaica printed in 1774, describes it as “flat and composed of planks on frame of timberwork which rests upon two piers and two buttresses projecting from the banks, constructed with piles and braces interlaced with masonry”.

According to Long, 16 plantations in the Bog Walk vicinity had to send one slave in every 50 to work on the River Road or 16-Mile Walk, as it was popularly called. The materials – gravel, marl, lime, sand, and stone – had to be dug by the slaves.

The name Bog Walk Gorge is derived from the Spanish words Boca de Agua, which mean water’s mouth. It is not known when the Spaniards entered this area of Jamaica, though they had an active involvement up to the time of the conquest of the island in 1655. During the 1660s, after the British occupation, the Bog Walk Gorge or Rio Cobre Gorge was discovered by Carey Helyar – a Spanish merchant and planter in the 17th century.

It is said that slaves often lost their lives as they performed dangerous tasks in the construction of the bridge. Contracts for timber and for masons to work were authorised at vestry meetings.

Information on the Jamaican National Heritage Trust’s website states that between 1881 and 1915, the floor of the bridge was washed away. It was later re-floored with iron girders and buckle plates taken from the original flooring of the May Pen Bridge. Today, the bridge is supported by two piers and two abutments. In the 1930s, it had metal handrails and later wooden ones, but these were devoured by the river at different times. Semi-circular spheres are now the only protection on the bridge itself.

In 2002, the Government sought to develop alternatives to the road in an effort to prevent tragedies. The Government’s move came amidst renewed public concerns about the historic bridge’s safety and a suggestion that it be closed and made into a tourist attraction.

The then minister of transport and works Robert Pickersgill said that his ministry had received several suggestions regarding the bridge which were to be examined to ascertain an alternative. The Government considered the following options: putting up rails on the bridge, which presently has only small, round concrete mounds called pillars running along the edges; building another bridge beside the Flat Bridge; and preserving the bridge as a tourist attraction.

The most feasible immediate option of the three, at the time, would be to erect rails but this, while fairly inexpensive, posed some problems. Pickersgill also stated that a concern was that the river, when in spate, would tear the rails from the bridge and cause damage to the bridge or collect debris.

When the river is in spate and the road is closed, motorists are advised to use the Barry and Sligoville roads.