HILLSBROOK, Hanover — As a squabble continues over who has responsibility for repairing the badly compromised Hillsbrook Bridge here in Hanover, the National Works Agency (NWA) is calling for it to be closed. The State agency wants residents to be aware of the dangers of using the bridge, which is said to be about 100 years old.

To date, neither the NWA nor the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) has claimed responsibility for the bridge, which began collapsing last week Thursday.

“Regardless of the responsibility, the fact of the matter is that the bridge is unsafe and residents ought not to be using it. It is a moving situation in that when we looked at it last week and we came back again yesterday [Wednesday], it has gotten worse. I think that is the critical thing now, for residents to be aware that it is unsafe even for pedestrian traffic,” said NWA community relations officer for the western region Janel Ricketts.

Stating that the bridge was never under the purview of the NWA, Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer that the agency’s technical team had done an assessment of the structure and is currently in dialogue with the Hanover Municipal Corporation on the issue.

“The bridge is deemed unsafe and one of the recommendations that have been made [to the HMC] is to have the bridge closed,” said Ricketts.

However, Councillor Devon Brown (Jamaica Labour Party, Hopewell Division) told the Observer that while the bridge is located on a parochial road, the section where the breakaway is located is on a major road, which is under the purview of the NWA. Brown, in calling for the issue to be promptly addressed, argued that the corporation does not have bridge building skills.

“If you look at the bridge and its structure, [the] council cannot build such a massive structure. It is an NWA bridge and all major bridges and gullies are under the purview of the NWA. So, we have no control over it,” he said.

“They need to restore it as quick as possible because it is impacting people’s lives. As soon as they can procure funds to get it sorted, that will be highly appreciated,” added Brown, who said he had accompanied the corporation’s superintendent of roads and works to look at the bridge and that an assessment had been done.

A similar call for the NWA to act was made by Councillor Jeffery Brown (People’s National Party, Hopewell Division Caretaker).

“We are calling on the Government of Jamaica to do something. Don’t let it be like the other bridges across the island, especially the one up in Trelawny [Troy Bridge]. This one is well-needed. We know that it can’t be done overnight but we need them to come and talk with the citizens and tell them what is the short-term plan they have for this bridge,” he urged.

He is also calling for the bridge to be closed.

Glenford Haughton was at home when the wall that supports one end of the bridge collapsed into the Cabarita River last week Thursday. Since then a resident, who was not aware of the compromised structure, plunged approximately nine feet onto the remains of the collapsed wall. The man, who was rescued by residents, was not seriously injured.

“If this bridge should collapse, round here doom fi right now. I don’t know where I am going to walk but I would need a raft to come over,” said Haughton. “Government… try come and see what you can do to it before this month pass because if this month pass, no bridge not here again,” he added.

Eric Clarke, an elderly resident of Flower Hill, noted that should the bridge totally collapse, several communities would be cut off from each other.

He noted that while there are three routes out of the area, travelling through Woodsville is the only way to Lucea as the alternative route is in a deplorable condition. The third route would take residents into Westmoreland.

Meanwhile, Woodsville Community Development Committee President Shasha-Gay Fraser is not only calling on the authorities to talk with the community on the way forward but to repair the deplorable alternative route which, she said, is only accessible by trucks.

Fraser said residents are suffering and she is particularly concerned about the impact it will have on students already experiencing learning loss as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“The children not going to school again because of a bridge. We would also like for them to put in place something that they can walk or ride on that is not going to be risky. We are suffering greatly because if we took an alternative route, like going through Savanna-la-Mar, it would take another three hours and increasing food prices and deliverables would make it further challenging,” argued Fraser.

“I know that we are rural but I don’t want us to look at it as a rural community, but just to come in and sit down and say, ‘This is what we have planned’; We are not asking for it in another 10 years, we want a short-term plan,” added Fraser.