KINGSTON, Jamaica — The public is being advised that the major 33” Rio Cobre/Tulloch Spring water transmission main along the Mandela Highway suffered damage earlier today as a result of major road improvement activities taking place under the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP).

The damage is said to have occurred in the vicinity of the Mandela Highway intersection with Tom Cringle Drive where pile driving activities were underway, a joint statement from the National Water Commission (NWC) and the National Works Agency (NWA) this evening disclosed.

According to the statement, a team including representatives of the supervisory consultants, road works contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and sub-contractors as well as the teams from the NWC and NWA have already visited the location and have initiated preparatory works to enable access to the pipeline to effect emergency repairs in the shortest possible time.

In the interim, the two entities said that despite being damaged, the pipeline continues to be used to transmit water to serve areas including sections of Portmore and other parts of St Catherine as well as parts of the Corporate Area of Kingston and St Andrew such as Spanish Town Road, Marcus Garvey Drive, Molynes Road, Washington Boulevard, and sections of downtown Kingston.

It is expected that the pipeline will be shut-down to effect emergency repairs as soon as the excavations and other preparatory works are completed.

As at this time, the work is expected to take place over the weekend.

In view of the other challenges to the water supply network in the Corporate Area, every effort is being made to keep the period of shut-down on the Rio Cobre/Tulloch Spring Transmission Main to an absolute minimum, continued the statement.