NATIONAL Works Agency (NWA) on Monday warned motorists to exercise extreme caution, especially where roads are flooded, following the weekend death of a taxi operator in St Mary.

It was reported that the motorist attempted to cross a flooded section of the Marlborough parochial road when his vehicle was washed away. That section of the corridor has a ford, which is a feature on a road where storm water flows, especially in high-intensity rainfall, and may render a corridor impassable.

Manager, communication and customer services at the NWA Stephen Shaw, in a release, said there are more than 50 fords across the island and that road users should be particularly careful when travelling across them.

“These are on both main and parochial roads. The eastern parishes of St Mary, Portland, St Thomas and St Andrew account for the largest percentage of fords on the island, said Shaw.

Shaw said that with increased rainfall forecast for all parishes over the next few days, road users in these parishes should ensure their safety in traversing any corridor with a ford.

“The Government has a plan to reduce the numbers of fords across the island through the construction of bridges, however this process will take some time,” said Shaw.