PM opens new Spring Village Bridge in St Catherine

Residents of Spring Village in St Catherine now have a new bridge, which will ensure safe and reliable access to schools, jobs and emergency services, and strengthen connections with adjoining communities.

The structure, built under the Government’s Accelerated Bridge Programme at a cost of $250 million, was officially opened recently by Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness.

It replaces the previous 150-year-old bridge, which was closed by the National Works Agency (NWA) in September 2022 after concerns arose about its structural integrity.

“This is a project that we consider to be in the national interest,” the Prime Minister said.

Noting the four years that it took to complete the project, he said that there was need to identify a specialised contractor with the appropriate machinery to execute specific technical works.

“The project required specialised equipment – piling equipment that had to drive piles a hundred and odd feet into the ground to make sure that the foundation of the bridge is stable. Some of our contractors don’t have that equipment, so this was put out to tender about two or three times,” Holness explained.

Dwight’s Construction Limited, which is responsible for the construction of Troy Bridge, a $230-million structure that connects the Troy to the Oxford main road at the Manchester-Trelawny border, took on the project.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with Responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan, in his remarks, noted the importance of the bridge in the daily life of residents.

“This is an important day for the communities that depend on this corridor. For several years, residents, workers, students, businesses, transport operators, had to live with the difficulty of traversing Spring Village without the bridge, so today is not simply the opening of a bridge. It is about restoring connection that matters to daily life, commerce, public safety and community confidence,” he said.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Arlene Williams, reminded the residents gathered that bridges are more than steel and concrete.

“They [bridges] are the physical manifestation of human connection. When we build a bridge, we don’t just cross a geographic divide; we open new pathways for commerce, culture and community to thrive together,” she said.

Member of Parliament, St Catherine South Western, Everald Warmington, expressed gratitude on behalf of the community.

- JIS News

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