Scores of residents in the farming district of Bushy Park in St Catherine are now trapped after a bridge connecting sections of the community to the main road collapsed early Saturday morning.

According to the residents, the bridge caved in after heavy rains brought on by both Hurricane Beryl last week Wednesday and a tropical wave that passed over the southern sections of the island on Friday flooded the river.

“From Wednesday with the hurricane things were washing down into the corner of the bridge, and with the rain we get [on Friday], it cause everything to shift, and [because] of the weight of everything, it make the bridge collapse,” Winston Lynch, a resident in the community, told the Jamaica Observer.

He said that in his more than 30 years living there he witnessed heavy rains causing debris to wash up under the bridge, flooding the banks of the river and the bridge. However, the structure never collapsed before now.

Another resident, Patrick Pailg, agreed.

“This is the first we ever experience this in all the storms. We had [Hurricane] Gilbert [1988] and we never face this. Beryl dangerous. Everybody take Beryl simple, but Beryl nuh simple,” he said.

When the Observer was making its way to the collapsed structure, sections of the road were flooded, ankle-deep water spilling flowing into the homes of some residents.

Caution tape was placed about five feet from the bridge, with a group of residents gathered beyond the barrier, urging caution because water flowing from the river was still placing pressure on the bridge, eroding sections of the road.

On the other side of the bridge, a group of people was starting to form as they assessed the damage.

Angered by the development, they said it could have been avoided had authorities cleared the debris that washed up last week Wednesday.

“All of this is not our debris. This is coming all the way from Point Hill area come down and block up our bridge,” said Pailg.

“If this was cleaned out, the bridge wouldn’t collapse, because is the weight of [the debris] cause the bridge fi buss, because the water nuh have nowhere to go, so it buss off piece of the bridge, and it gradually buss off the whole bridge,” he explained.

“If they had cleared these things from [last week] Thursday then this wouldn’t happen,” Lynch said, pointing to dried bamboo, broken tree branches and other debris gathered at a section of the collapsed bridge.

With water from the river further eroding the bridge and sections of the road, Bushy Park residents are demanding action from the relevant authorities. People living closer to the main road said those on the other side are now trapped, because the only other road that they can use is blocked by fallen utility poles and is in deplorable condition. They also said it is very dangerous to traverse during the nights, as thieves lurk in the area.

“For them to come around to this side now they have to go through a place we call Amity Hall, and we had a few light poles down with wires on the road leading to that side, so you have to be careful. It’s very dangerous and it’s a much longer distance. It will take them about a mile and something, almost two miles, to come around,” another resident, Phillip Bromfield, told the Observer.

He lamented the hardship now facing residents on the other side, sharing that many of them are farmers who use the bridge daily to access their farms closer to the main road and to do business.

“Everything mash up now with farming, because if the bridge is not fixed the things they have to sell will spoil. The people them have fowl coop, callaloo bed, fish pond, all kind a things that them sell. Is a big farming district over there,” he said, pointing to the other side.

“Now, all they can do is just stand there and look over here, and who over here just have to look on them because we can’t do anything,” he said, shaking his head.

“The Government or who responsible for road and works, them need to come and give them a temporary bridge and afterwards them make back a good bridge. Right now, them just need a baby bridge to go to and from because them trapped, and this is a serious problem,” argued another resident, Clive Henry.

His appeal was supported by Pailg.

“Them need to come and look and see what they are going to do for the people,” he said. “The bridge is very important for the people because they use it every day.”

Phillip Bromfield points to the section of the road eroded by the river. (Photos: Karl Mclarty)

Winston Lynch states why he believes the bridge collapsed.

Clive Henry is suggesting that the authorities provide the community with a temporary bridge for the time being.

Patrick Pailg says the bridge is very important for the people because they use it every day

Residents say these dried bamboo stalks, broken tree branches and other debris, washed down the river by flood waters, placed pressure on the bridge in Bushy Park, causing it to collapse on Saturday