MOTORISTS heading from Dunrobin to Half-Way-Tree should be able to use the south-bound lane of the roadway that was closed for repairs Thursday after a National Water Commission (NWC) sewage pipe burst in the area causing parts of the roadway to collapse.

However, it will be a few more days before full use of the roadway is regained, as there is still more work to be done.

Despite efforts by the National Works Agency (NWA) and the NWC, the work crews were unable to effect full repairs in time for the estimated full opening today.

“We believe that we’ll be out of the south-bound lane, that is the lane in front of Globe Furniture, and we can hand that back to the NWA. It will be their call to see if and when traffic will return to it, but we are prepared to hand it back to them before Monday morning,” senior project manager at the NWC Gary Walters told the Jamaica Observer when we visited the site last evening.

“The north-bound lane, we cannot make the Monday deadline because of the unforeseen underground obstructions. I anticipate that best-case scenario Tuesday, and worst-case scenario, by Wednesday,” he added.

When contacted, communication and customer service manager at the NWA Stephen Shaw said the NWA was working to compact and fill the south-bound carriageway, which has three lanes, so that it would be ready in time for Monday morning.

“We are working right now to allow access to the southbound traffic lane heading from Dunrobin Avenue to Half- Way-Tree. The north-bound lanes heading from Half-Way-Tree, those will remain closed as the contractor continues to do work to have sewer line replaced,” Shaw said.

He stressed that, while access is being given to motorists, the road is not finished as there is still work to be done as it relates to the final road surface, and as such, it is still an active worksite.

Shaw explained that they are doing their best to get it done not only quickly, but also as professionally as possible, and so they have teams from the NWA testing materials on site to ensure that they are suitable for reaching the level of compaction required for the road.

Both Shaw and Walters highlighted that there have been unexpected challenges with other lines underground that hampered the rate at which the repair is being done.

“So because we encountered these [challenges], the work rate had to be slowed, because you have to meticulously work around it, because it’s not our intention to damage anyone’s infrastructure,” Shaw said.

Last week Thursday a sewer line collapsed, compromising two sections of the Constant Spring roadway, which resulted in the closure of the lanes on both the north-bound and south-bound carriageways and resulting in extensive traffic congestion over much of the city.