Dear Editor,

Last December, my husband and I travelled to St Ann to visit my sister for Christmas. We had a grand time eating, reminiscing, and laughing. However, as night fell and I gathered my things to return home, my heart grew heavy. A dreadful reality struck me: My sister and I are getting older, and life is fleeting, yet we cannot visit each other regularly because the road is deplorable and dangerous.

In fact, for the entire drive to my sister’s home I cringed in fear as we navigated the narrow, meandering roadway from Runaway Bay to Aboukir. On our return journey we attempted an alternative route — Cave Valley to Williamsfield — but much of this stretch was even worse. Having lived in Bog Hole, a neighbouring community, for many years, I know that the road has always been in disrepair, regardless of the governing party or Member of Parliament. Heavy rains have only deepened the perilous craters.

Too often we see roads merely as a means of transportation, but they are much more than that. They are lifelines that can connect, save, and sustain families. They allow for regular, hassle-free visits for family time, and the immaterial luxuries of warm embraces, shared meals, and cherished memories. No phone or video call can replicate or substitute for these in-person moments.

Therefore, I am desperately hoping that one day, one of our leaders will insist on durable and comprehensive road repairs, not bumpy patching or haphazard de-bushing. I trust, too, that narrow corridors will be widened for our safety and the surrounding hillsides will be reinforced to reduce landslides. More families would then be able to spend time together without risking their lives or damaging their vehicles during their visits.

Pot-hole riddled road.