GREENWOOD, St James — A heavily used road in Greenwood is the first in Member of Parliament Edmund Bartlett’s St James East Central constituency to be repaired under the Government’s $45-billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme.

Bartlett, who is also the minister of tourism, said the work is expected to be completed soon.

“It is the first SPARK road for me. That should finish in another week or so. The intention was to have completed it before the end of June, so hopefully by a week or week and a half it should be done,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

During a visit to the area Tuesday work was on in earnest with heavy equipment being used to roll and pave the road. There is also work being done to address drainage issues that typically surface with heavy rain.

“The road that we are doing there now is a very important part of alleviating the flooding. That is why we are making the drain across it to channel the water away from flooding in the areas where the commercial buildings and so on are,” Bartlett said.

The MP explained the challenges in carrying out the work.

“In order to try and manage the water flow, it’s difficult because it’s wetlands and it’s below sea level. It is a preliminary part of the work, we’re going to have to do more work at a later point,” he explained.

“It’s a massive programme that needs to be done to sort of drain the area and to create perhaps channels for the water to go and not flood through people’s places when it rains,” added Bartlett.

He cautioned that there may still be flooding in the area even after work is done in the preliminary phase.

“It’s difficult to avoid significant floods if we have heavy, heavy rain especially if, with it, you have tidal movements because it is the natural area that the water comes,” Bartlett said.

He urged individuals to make wise choices when engaging in construction.

“We are imploring people to stop building out on the wetlands because it is the area that provides the protection when there is high tide and when there is any kind of tidal movement. Also, to urge them to stop building across the storm water channel which is at the side of the road because when the rain falls heavily there, the water backs up and it floods people’s area,” he appealed.

The road repairs have been welcomed by residents of Greenwood who have long endured flooding of their houses and business places.

“The greatest thing is that they are fixing the road and I am glad. It’s like they are going to take the water straight to the sea and that is great,” stated Madge Neil-Burnett, who operates the Greenwood Plaza and Hardware.

“It’s long overdue, over 40 years. It is the first that we’ve seen them come and they are doing something good like this now. All along, I have to be doing it,” she said.

Last year she used her money to temporarily fix the road.

“In December it stayed really bad and that is why I had to get the money from the bank, do the overdraft and fix the road. I don’t even clear it up yet because the sales had dropped,” said Neil-Burnett.

She is hoping the road repairs will make the community more attractive for residents and others who patronise business places in the area.

“The community members are happy. They have been calling and asking me about it because they know it’s me that’s usual doing things. I tell them, ‘No, this time it’s the Government doing it,” she declared happily.