John Myers Jr., Staff Reporter
A section of the Palisadoes Road leading to the Norman Manley International Airport is strewn with debris washed from the sea by storm surges as Hurricane Emily skirted Jamaica's south coast last week. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
CIVIL ENGINEER Cowell Lyn has suggested that Government 'armour plate' the coastline along the Palisadoes Road as a way of protecting the roadway that connects the city to the Norman Manley International Airport and the community of Port Royal from the destructive force of hurricanes.
Lyn, who is the project coordinator of the Institutional Strengthening for Enhanced Management of the Kingston Harbour, a project of the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), was speaking at a forum on Tuesday chaired by Professor Patrick Bryan, head of the Jamaican Historical Society.
"The most effective way of protecting the Palisadoes from hurricane damage would be a construction of layers of armoury of pre-cast armour (concrete) ... so when you put them together they interlock and when a wave comes to try and dislodge it ... it would be much more resistant," he suggested.
SEA WALL SUGGESTION REJECTED
Mr. Lyn noted that the vulnerability of the Palisadoes strip, which is referred to as a tombolo in geological terms, has direct bearing on its geological and geotechnical formation, as well as "the symmetry, water depths and the variation in the water depths in front of the tombolo."
The engineer, who works from the office of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), rejected the idea of constructing a sea wall as is being suggested in some quarters. This, he said, would be too massive and expensive a structure and would also be unsuitable for the geology of the area. Furthermore, he explained that such a structure would be extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.
A VEGETATIVE BARRIER
"All these layers of sand, gravel and peat, they become liquefied when the ground is heavily shaken such as what happened in Port Royal in 1692," he explained. "So one suggestion ... would be to use (interlocking) units on the big sea side and raise the road to say, three metres above sea level. I think that would give you a degree of protection that you would be able to feel confident about."
Another method Lyn suggested, is use of a 'soft' option, which he explains, means creating a huge sand barrier along with the planting of a thick vegetative cover to form a guard against violent waves that could be generated during storms. "It still makes you able to use the beach and sea shore which you can't when you put down these great big things like (interlocking units)." He said this type of barrier would be just as effective in withstanding the force of giant waves.
Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill is expected to a make a submission to Cabinet on Monday on the proposals for the repair and protection of the Palisadoes strip. Based on assessment of the damage, it is estimated to cost the Government in the region of $500 million to restore that section of the island.
