Along the Camberwell Road in St Mary lies a disaster that is waiting to happen.

On the six-miles stretch of non-existent roadway that leads from Annotto Bay to the neighbouring South-eastern St Mary deep rural farm community is a section of the road that is coming apart from underneath, unknown to some residents.

Those who are concerned about the entire stretch of roadway, fear that it will only take another heavy downpour of rain for it to collapse.

“It dig out underneath; is a man a walk and hear stone a drop and wen him look him see say de culvert a drop out,” taxi driver Oswald Stewart, who is referred to as “MP” in the community, explained to the Jamaica Observer during a visit last Wednesday

“If we get a good shower a rain, it might cave in and cut off the community and who down, stay down,” he added.

Stewart later guided the Observer team to the section of the road which is breaking away from underneath.

“A just chance me a tek and stand up yah suh,” he said while pointing out the road. “You can reach the bottom at any time … a space me stand up inna.

“Mi just hope nobody no deh pon it when it a bruck wey,” Stewart said.

The taxi driver and his fellow community members lamented the condition of the road, which they say has been the case for over 30 years.

The entire roadway is devoid of asphalt and at different points look similar to a dirt track or an empty riverbed. Some sections of the road also have crater-like holes created by frequent rainfall and lack of road maintenance.

According to the residents, each time the political representatives try to fix the road, things become worse.

“A man come last year to work, but instead dem do work, dem dump up the water tables to lead off the water, so when rain fall the road come in like river,” said farmer Dalford Bailey.

“Every time dem come dem scrape off the asphalt, say dem a degrade and dig up the road and say dem fix it,” he added.

Another farmer, Errol Strachan, who said he has been living in the community for 35 years and had not seen much improvement to the road condition, expressed similar sentiments.

“All dem do is come and scrape it down, turn it into a river course and instead the water run off, it settles on the road,” he said.

Both farmers complained that the road condition was hampering their efforts to transport their produce.

Bailey said that he used to transport his produce by using his handcart, but had to park it and now has to be using taxis to transport his produce.

Added to that, Strachan said that the taxis do not travel as frequently on the road because of the poor state. Taxi drivers also charge extra money when it rains, he said.

Residents are sometimes also forced to trek the long journey to the main road by foot when it rains because cars are unable to travel on the road.

Sheryl Burrowes, who was obviously upset over the situation when she spoke to the Observer, said that officials of the National Works Agency (NWA) told the community that they were unable to fix the road now because of frequent rainfall.

But, according to her, the agency should at least try to fix the drains and to repair the “craters” that were caused by the water settling along the roadway.

“Mi glad me no inna politics enuh, ’cause if me did inna it me wud a dangerous, ’cause mi no see why we a vote,” she fumed.

She also expressed concern for the taxi drivers who operate in the community, noting that they have it very hard.

“Everyday you see dem under dem car a try fix something and as dem pocket burn dem, a so fi wi pocket burn,” she said.

The residents also complained that emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances were unable to access the community because of the poor road network.

“If a house on fire, it affi stay burning ’cause no fire truck naa come up here,” one man pointed out.

“We MP naa do nutten. Him say him spend $12 million fi fix the road, but we don’t see nothing,” said one woman who chose not to give her name.

“We need the MP to do something, him affi do something, he needs to be pressured,” she added. “So many of our young people leave schools and colleges and have to leave because of the poor road, and if we nuh see him on TV we don’t see him.”

Burrowes added: “Nobody hardly live in the community; everybody a leave because fi carry a truckload a sand up here cost so much.”

Acting principal of the Camberwell Primary School, Stephanie Christie, also complained that the poor state of the road was affecting attendance at the school.

She said that many of the pupils arrived late because of the road, and that the school’s population has decreased as people from nearby communities refuse to send their children to the school because of the bad road.

“We are underpopulated. Right now we have 38 students on roll and we do try to market the school to people outside of the community, as the community is very small, but getting here is a challenge,” Christie said.

She said that it would mean a lot for the community if the road was repaired, as she has spoken to community members who have migrated and they are interested in returning but are hesitant because of the road.

In the meantime, residents said that they are forced to try and fill some of the holes in the road for themselves to prevent further damage to the roadway.

“We wouldn’t mind some assistance right now ’cause nuff a de place that look a little good, a we the community members have to get concrete and fill out the holes dem,” Steward said.

In the meantime, Stephen Shaw, NWA communication and customer service manager told the Observer that the agency is aware of the situation and is working to address the issue.