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Number of blocked roads reported jump to over 1000
The total number of blocked roads reported to the National Works Agency (NWA)
since the watery onslaught of Hurricane Ivan has jumped to over 1000.
"Up to early this afternoon (Sept. 22) we have received 1,033 reports of roads being blocked. Of that number we have cleared 768, which is well over 70 per cent," revealed Communications and Customer Relations Manager, Vando Palmer.
Most of the NWA's 5000 kilometres of main road are now open, assured Mr. Palmer. For the other Parish Council-controlled roads, which have not yet been cleared, the agency is awaiting further direction from the relevant authorities.
"We are still waiting on the Parish Councils to submit their list of roads [that are blocked], as well as a priority listing of those roads, so that we can assist in clearing them," he explained.
Although the NWA has done its best to clear or provide access to as many of the blocked roads as possible, several remain impassable to date.
Status of alternative routes islandwide - for Roundabout JA? Or Bulletin
In St. Andrew, the Cooper's Hill to Hardware Gap main road, which was previously
cleared, is now blocked again and the NWA is working in earnest to clear this
road.
In St. Thomas, the Hallhead to Negro River Bridge and Belvedere to Hallhead main road, Windsor Forest to Mahogany Vale and Yallahs to Petersfield roads are all closed at this time, Mr. Palmer said.
"The river has come across the roadway and we will have to wait until the water recedes before it is reopened. We don't want anybody to go out there and try to go through that area and get into difficulty, so we have closed those roads," Mr. Palmer told JIS News.
When the thoroughfare is once again free from floodwater, the NWA plans to create a ford in that location.
Over in Westmoreland, the Seaford Town to Pisgah main road and Bethel Town to Lamb's River road are blocked. The alternative routes are Ashton through Dundee, and Bethel Town through York, outlined Mr. Palmer.
In St. Catherine the Williamsfield to Glengoffe main road is blocked at Mount Industry by a large boulder and extensive land slippages.
In Clarendon, Mocho to Frank Field, Sandy River to Macknie, and Grantham to Trout Hall roads have all suffered massive breakaways.
Over in St. James, the Point to Flamstead Gardens main road is impassable because of a breakaway at Tangle River. The alternative route is to go through Maroon Town and Vaugnsfield. The Flamstead to Mocho section of road is impassable because of washed-out culverts.
In Trelawny, the Falmouth to Springvale main road is flooded at Logwood Valley and the alternative route is to go through Gales Valley to Hampden and then back to Wakefield. There are extensive land slippages along the Wirefence to Warsop main road that has rendered the road impassable.
In south Trelawny, the Ulster Spring to Stettin and Freeman's Hall to German Town main road is cut off in about two or three places and the Highgate Hall to Stettin roadway also has a number of land slippages along that thoroughfare, he continued.
In St. Elizabeth, the Thornton to Appleton thoroughfare is flooded at the Appleton Bridge. The New Market to Carmel main road is closed and the alternative route is to go through Kepp to Kilmarnock Bypass and then back to Carmel. The Claremont Park to Malvern road in Southwest St. Elizabeth is also closed. The New Market to Jacks Gate main road is closed and the alternative route is to go through New Market down to the New Savannah Bypass.
Slight increase in gastroenteritis in Manchester and Clarendon
The Ministry of Health is reporting that there has been a slight increase in
the number of cases of gastroenteritis in the parishes of Manchester and Clarendon,
which were badly hit during the onslaught of Hurricane Ivan.
Speaking to JIS News Dr. Deanna Ashley, Director of Health Promotion and Protection in the Ministry of Health disclosed that although the number of cases ranged between 2 and 5 cases per day, "there was no real outbreak".
There is no need for panic, the Director said. However, she urged persons to be vigilant in ensuring the implementation of various preventative measures issued by the Ministry.
Speaking of outbreaks of other illnesses associated with natural disasters and in particular hurricanes, Dr. Ashley said that based on daily surveillance by the Health Ministry, to date, there are no reported or confirmed cases of Dengue and Typhoid fever.
Westmoreland Roads and water update
More than 80 per cent of the 90 blocked roadways in Westmoreland have been cleared
to accommodate vehicular traffic.
Superintendent of Roads and Works at the Westmoreland Parish Council, Albert Stewart, gave JIS News an update on the roads remain impassable. They are: the St. Paul's Road from Negril Spot to White Hall, Old Hope to Revival, Peggy Barry that links Glasgow to Hanover, Kilmarnock to Maranger, Lower Darliston to Orange Hill and Jacks Gate to New Market.
According to Mr. Stewart, the Westmoreland Parish Council is now carrying out
remedial relief work to have most if not all of the roadways back in condition
for public travel as soon as possible.
Speaking of Westmoreland's water supply systems, Mr Stewart reported that some
50 per cent of the minor water supplies for the parish have been affected, with
approximately 23 catchment and wayside tanks damaged by the hurricane.
The Westmoreland Parish Council will need at least $2.6 million to repair the minor water supply systems for which it is responsible.
Washington
The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, has continued to broaden its appeal to
Jamaicans in the United States to support relief and reconstruction efforts
in the island with the staging, last Thursday, of a town hall meeting in Philadelphia
in collaboration with the Jamaican Consulate in Philadelphia.
Local channels including the NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX Broadcasting affiliates, as well as the Philadelphia Tribune, spoke with Ambassador Gordon Shirley about relief efforts in Jamaica and gave him an opportunity to provide an overview of the extent of damage occasioned by the storm.
Following his visit to Philadelphia, Ambassador Shirley is scheduled to meet next weekend with the Jamaican community in Seattle, Washington as well as commercial interests in the city, including the Microsoft Corporation.
St. Mary update
Two weeks after the onslaught of Hurricane Ivan, three shelters are still open
in St. Mary, a dramatic reduction from the 100 shelters that were in operation
immediately following the hurricane at which time 5,000 persons took refuge.
Today, two weeks later, three shelters are accommodating some 34 persons.
The shelters in operation are the Annotto Bay Revival Church, the Old Enfield Basic School, and the Mango Valley Community Centre.
Bog Walk Gorge update
The National Works Agency (NWA) is assuring the public that every effort has
been made to make the Bog Walk Gorge safe for vehicular traffic and there is
no need for undue concern by motorists.
Acknowledging that the Bog Walk Gorge endured a "battering" during the passage of hurricane Ivan, Vando Palmer, Communications and Customer Relations Manager at the NWA, outlined that his agency moved swiftly to repair the areas that were damaged to allow traffic to pass freely.
"It is not a smooth ride, but it is a safer ride than going through Barry, where we have a difficulty at an area near to the Wakefield turn-off where there is a spring and the water level rises and falls at its own fancy," he pointed out.
The decision to allow traffic to go through the Gorge rather than to have Barry as the only alternative route was necessary as the Sligoville Main Road is closed for urgent repairs, added Mr. Palmer.
Ensuring access to the road was the NWA's primary concern, he said. The next step will be to develop a long-term design for the main road that can endure the effects of natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes with minimal damage.
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