ST JAMES, Jamaica — Concerned that unsuspecting motorists will plunge into the gaping cavern Hurricane Melissa has carved out of a section of road at Spring Mount in southern St James, residents are calling on the authorities to erect warning signs that will be visible, especially at night.

The area is still without electricity, making it almost impossible to see that access is now reduced to a few inches, barely enough for foot and bike traffic.

“My biggest fear is the people that are travelling that don’t know about this breakaway and coming down at it could be in trouble,” Spring Mount resident Nicole Heaven told Observer Online during a visit to the area Tuesday.

She had just skirted the 30-foot precipice as she made her way from her home to another section of the community. She was trying to get transportation into Montego Bay.

“This is the main road from Montego Bay to Kingston and [commuters] not knowing that the road break off, that is posing as a problem,” Heaven added.

Residents have been doing their best to warn motorists.

“Even [Monday] night I was coming down with my mom and there was this gentleman that was going to Elderslie. He came here and he had to turn back and he was saying that it was a lucky thing that he filled his tank because now he had to go back. I directed him through Hampton,” she disclosed.

But that route is also treacherous. Drivers have to navigate the notorious Charlie Mount section that is narrow, winding and has steep drops at several spots. Heavily used now as Sprint Mount is impassable, tempers often flare when the narrowness of the road creates bottlenecks. Sections of Charlie Mount are only partially cleared of fallen trees and mud, and it is not fully lit, adding to the danger.

“Hampton is not a safe traverse because of the narrowness of the road and all of that and that is one of my fears,” a concerned Heaven said.

Another community member joined her in her appeal for the authorities to act.

“Them need to put up signs or caution tape to ensure that people don’t drive over the precipice,” the resident declared.

According to individuals seen in the area Tuesday, while representatives from the relevant state agencies have visited, they have not been given an update on what will be done.

In addition to the fear that outsiders who are unaware of the breakaway are in danger, residents are also concerned about the impact the breakaway is having on their community.

“If night come and we sick up there so, we have problems because we can’t get a drive. See it there, I’m coming from Montego Bay and a way down there so I have to walk from come up,” a woman who gave her name as “Bibs” lamented.

She is worried things will get a lot worse.

“It must get bigger because if rain fall, all of there so tear away; because you see that it is giving way right now,” she said.

Community Relations Officer for the National Works Agency’s Western Region, Janel Ricketts, has cautioned residents to avoid using the area as the land is unstable. But after the storm they cleared just enough of it to allow pedestrian traffic. This gets them to Spring Mount Police Station from where they can get transportation.

The alternative is the treacherous Hampton route which has now become more expensive.

“Them charging $500 where before they charged $250 from here to Montego Bay. If you can’t manage that you walk to the Spring Mount Police station and wait for a drive there,” one woman said.