Bad roads driving Westmoreland motorists crazy

WESTERN BUREAU:

For commuters in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, and surrounding communities, routes that used to be short commutes have now turned into tests of patience as the roadways deteriorate.

“It seems like Westmoreland is a forgotten parish,” lamented one motorist. “I don’t see where they are working on the infrastructure, the roads, or anything on the road. And if they do work ... , they only patch up a small portion and then that’s it.”

According to the motorist, trips from home into town that would normally take 10 minutes now take up to 40 minutes.

“And those things affect service delivery. And it affects the economy because people can’t reach where they want to go on time, and it slows up everything. Everything is slowed up.”

The concern goes beyond inconvenience. For many, the condition of the roads poses serious safety risks.

“You can imagine if an emergency should happen?” the motorist asked, adding that replacing damaged car parts has also been taking a financial toll.

Across the parish, complaints echo similar themes such as deep potholes, crumbling roadways, and uneven patchwork repairs. Areas such as Stathbogie, Little London, and sections between Negril and Savanna-la-Mar have all come under scrutiny from residents who say the conditions are deplorable.

Even decisions about education are being influenced.

“I wanted to send my child to that school, but now I’m reconsidering it because the roads are extremely bad. And it needs urgent fixing,” said one motorist.

At Unity Primary, which operates on shifts, Principal Dawnett Hall-Beharie acknowledges the situation.

“I mean, we, as concerned citizens, we would all want our roads to be in the best condition. So just not the ideal condition,” she said, noting that the road conditions affect punctuality.

“The only good thing is that the vehicles slow down. The vehicles have to slow down,” Hall-Beharie added.

Still, she was clear that this is far from a solution, also noting specific trouble spots like Dunbar’s River, where potholes in the road significantly slow down the traffic.

“Since the hurricane, that area has worsened in terms of the potholes. The excess water on the road and the excessive rains have contributed to that as well,” she told The Gleaner.

While she has seen recent repairs up by Torrington, she said more needs to be done.

“The roads are in bad conditions and they just need to be rectified. It needs to be fixed, whoever is responsible,” she added.

Attempts to contact the Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz for comment were unsuccessful.

Janel Ricketts, community relations officer at the National Works Agency, said efforts to improve the roadways are ongoing though challenges remained.

A recent trouble spot emerged last month in Bluefields, where a section of the road broke away, an issue believed to have been caused by heavy showers.

“We have a lot of areas that we’re looking to, but we’re primarily responsible for the main road,” Ricketts explained, noting that places like Beeston Springs may only receive partial attention.

For major corridors such as the Frome main road, which has been damaged since Melissa, she confirmed that it is on the agency’s schedule.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have a timeframe right now ... . The damage was so great from the hurricane, it is taking us a little time to get to all of the areas.”

mickalia@gleanerjm.com