With the National Works Agency (NWA) indicating that its efforts to repair pothole-pitted roads and breakaways spanning several parishes following weeks of rainfall have been hampered by continuous bad weather, the Jamaica Institute of Engineers (JIE) says the case has been made for heightened scrutiny of Jamaica’s road construction and maintenance practices.

“I am not privy to information in terms of the affected roads and the cause of failure, maybe some of these roads have been in place for a very long time and have not been upgraded…but certainly this gives us the opportunity to look at how we design and what standards we need to look at improving with the occurrence of climate behaviours,” newly installed president of the institute Colin Porter told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday.

“We will continue to be that voice to remind persons that engineering comprises many aspects, and whilst engineers are very instrumental in designing a lot of solutions, we have to pay attention to the execution, the construction, and also the maintenance of these various infrastructure and not just wait until failure before we think about maintenance,” Porter added.

“Maintenance has to be something that takes place continually throughout the life of any infrastructure or system,” he said, adding that the JIE will put the issue high up on the agenda in its upcoming Developers’ Forum and will be forwarding recommendations from its experts to the relevant State agencies.

“This certainly is one thing that we have to look at. As you know, earlier this year we had some other debilitating effects from Hurricane Beryl and other storms, so these are things we are going to be looking at and making suggestions and recommendations as to how we can improve the practice and design and construction of roads and other infrastructure. Of course, we make recommendations, but it is dependent on the availability of resources; but certainly we will allow our voices to be heard and we will put forward our professional opinion in terms of what we think is the best way to go,” Porter said.

Wednesday, veteran engineer and former JIE President Noel daCosta told the Observer that road construction and particularly maintenance of the infrastructure needs a complete overhaul.

“We need to assess whether marl as a sub-base is really the best option for us in terms of longevity. Marl is cheaper and readily available, but we see the results in terms of the quality and longevity of the roads, especially if they are not properly sealed. I think the whole road building and maintaining ethos needs a rethink and a relook,” daCosta stated.

Asked whether Jamaica should explore another road construction standard as against the one now being used, he said: “I am not qualified in the area where road construction standards are concerned, but the standard depends a lot on the topography where the road runs, whether it’s on flat, level land, or whether they are on hillsides and whether the hillsides are appropriately terraced, what is the geology of the area. There are a lot of variables…but the roads and the maintenance of the roads have to be appropriate for the substratum and for the topography.”

In response to various calls for more concrete roads, the engineering expert said, “Concrete roads are very expensive, and if not done properly, and if not maintained properly, we will have pretty much as many issues as we have now; but in terms of sealing, concrete seems to be better able to seal the road properly than asphalt. There have been studies done.”

The observations of the engineering experts come as the National Works Agency (NWA) on Wednesday indicated that Jamaicans might have to endure undesirable road conditions a while longer.

“The National Works Agency acknowledges the significant challenges posed by the recent and ongoing persistent rainfall, which has had a considerable impact on road maintenance and repair efforts across the island. We recognise that these weather conditions are not only inconvenient but also pose safety risks to all road users. The agency and Government remain deeply committed to addressing these issues while ensuring that public safety and convenience remain our top priorities,” the entity said in a statement issued to the media.

While pointing out that the Government has allocated significant financial resources for road maintenance and repairs, including the $3-billion REACH Road Repair Programme, the newly launched $1.5-billion constituency-based Maintenance and Clean-up Programme, and the upcoming $45-billion SPARK Project, the NWA said, “the ongoing heavy rainfall islandwide has presented unique challenges, delaying the timely completion of these efforts”.

“The rains have not only hindered essential maintenance work but have also disrupted the production of materials needed for repairs. Asphalt manufacturers, in particular, are facing difficulties as raw materials are exposed to the elements, which can compromise the quality of the final product if not given adequate time to dry. This is especially critical as the materials used in road projects are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture conditions,” it explained.

The agency also said, “while efforts have been made to work around the weather, this has led to some material losses and delays in the completion of repairs.”

“Regardless, the agency remains fully mobilised and continues to monitor weather conditions closely. In fact, the public may have witnessed our contractors actively repairing roads; these efforts are often interrupted by the rains, which can temporarily undo progress. This should underscore our commitment to providing timely relief, as we are eager to complete repairs and improve road conditions as soon as weather conditions permit,” it assured.

In the meantime, the entity said in response to the current conditions it has implemented a temporary solution to fill potholes with aggregate in affected areas.

The NWA said this approach aims to provide a better driving experience during this time, while allowing for proper surface repairs to be completed once conditions improve. It said, while aggregate is not a permanent fix, it will help to reduce the immediate inconvenience and risk to motorists.

It is, meanwhile, urging motorists to exercise extreme caution, especially when driving over areas where potholes may be covered by water.

“It is important to reduce speed and navigate these areas carefully to avoid further damage to vehicles and ensure personal safety. We also encourage road users to remain alert to changing conditions and exercise patience as work progresses,” the NWA said.