Bar owner fears prolonged access crisis could force closure

WESTERN BUREAU:

The prolonged disruption caused by the Spring Mount Main Road breakaway is threatening economic life in the area, with at least one business operator projecting that continued deterioration could force her to close her doors.

Nickeita Wallace, owner of Hilltop Luxury Bar and Games Room in Spring Mount, said the impact of the damaged roadway is being felt through declining business, increased transportation costs, and growing uncertainty about access to the community.

“I think business has been pretty much slow,” Wallace told The Gleaner, describing the decline in customers since the road was damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Wallace, who has operated the business for about a year and two months, said people who previously travelled through the area or lived in surrounding communities are no longer coming to her establishment as frequently as before.

But the problem goes beyond declining customer traffic.

Wallace said she now has to spend extra to have supplies transported to her businessplace after shopping in Montego Bay. After reaching the breakaway, the goods are carried into the community by hand along a narrow footpath left accessible by the damaged roadway.

“Normally, I have to pay someone to bring them for like $1,000 or maybe $1,500, depending on the amount of load,” she said.

The situation has left Wallace increasingly concerned about the future of her establishment if access continues to deteriorate.

Her greatest fear is heavy rainfall, which she believes could further damage the already vulnerable area and leave residents and businesses even more isolated.

“I’m just praying we don’t have a heavy rainfall for a few days because I know anything can happen at any time,” Wallace said.

FEAR OF BEING CUT OFF

The damaged section of the Spring Mount main road has forced residents to rely on alternative routes, while some people have resorted to using a narrow pedestrian path to move around the affected area.

Wallace said the situation is becoming increasingly troubling, particularly for residents who have limited options for getting in and out of the community.

“We can’t walk in the bush outside the community,” she said.

She warned that further deterioration could leave residents with no safe or practical means of moving between their homes, businesses, and the wider road network.

“Right now, looking at it, we can ... at any time [end up with a situation] where we don’t have anywhere to walk,” she said.

The concern is not simply about the survival of her business but also the wider community that depends on the road for access.

Asked what would happen to her establishment if access deteriorated further, Wallace said closure could become unavoidable.

“I would have to close the business. Yeah, it would have to be. But not only that. There’s a lot of houses inside here,” she said, warning that it would be disastrous for the thousands of residents in Spring Mount and beyond.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com