CLARENDON, Jamaica – Fed-up residents of Rock River on Friday morning took to the streets to call attention to the poor condition of a section of the road in the community after a child was almost swept away by flood waters during heavy rains on Thursday.

The placard-bearing group say the source of their discontent is a section of the road that connects Rock River to Chapelton, a major town. The road collapsed during the rainy season last October.

According to the protestors, the heavy downpour almost claimed one of their most vulnerable residents.

“Yesterday my daughter was coming from school when the water almost washed her off the road, so we want to know what’s going on. She was coming from school yesterday and how the water came down hard it almost washed her over the break-away because when the rain falls all the water settles in the walkway that all of us use. We can’t wait until May when the heavy rains come or we won’t have anywhere to walk. We want a road,” a resident named Nadine said angrily.

“I have my business and can’t get any sale. I have to walk with the liquor on my head for it to be sold. The journey from there to Rock River is now taking twice as long as it used to and that’s not right. Persons going to Chapelton have to pay increased fares, increases as high as $1,000 to charter a taxi from Chapelton and if anybody is sick in the night, that’s a problem” Nadine argued.

Julian Russell, another resident, said the temporary solution is useless and demanded that the thoroughfare be remedied immediately.

“We are at risk of being washed away into the gully whenever it rains heavily and we need justice,” he argued.

Marlene Gordon a resident of Suttons, a nearby community, expressed that they have been severely impacted.

“We cannot go to our house, the people who live on that side who drive have to leave their cars here and go over” she highlighted.

The residents also took issue with their Member of Parliament Robert Morgan, who they say has abandoned them in their time of need.

However, on his defence, Morgan said there are several challenges with that section of roadway.

“The break-away happened in October last year and one of the challenges is that it keeps moving. After the NWA did the first assessment the retaining wall was still here and then a couple weeks later the retaining wall fell and then the road fell so it is taking some time but I’ve spoken to the Prime Minister, the NWA as well as Minister with responsibility for works Everard Warmington and we are trying to fast track this project,” he said.

“The concerns the residents had was the risk to children and the alternate route is very far for them to walk. There’s a little track in the community that we can do some repairs to that they could use. Additionally we have gotten approval to do some repairs on the main alternate route which is Ennis Hill and we’ve been trying to fix it since I’ve been MP but the tender process has been completed and a contract has been awarded” he explained.

He further noted that the breakaway requires a detailed engineering solution.

“This not only affects residents but sugar cane producers are feeling the cost to use the alternate route. Ennis Hill road is expected to be repaired within four to six weeks and the collapsed roadway between Chapelton and Rock River is expected to take up to about 5 months. “We know the residents were disgruntled but have since expressed their satisfaction with the plans that have been outlined to them and things are back to normal,” he said