With immediate effect, the pedestrian walkways along the May Pen Bridge in Clarendon are closed. The walkways were closed today by the National Works Agency (NWA), following an inspection of the facilities by a technical team. The inspections today revealed that several wooden members of the walkways had deteriorated and the structures posed serious threats to members of the public.
Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw says that the bridge is owned by the Jamaica Railway Corporation but was retrofitted some years ago to accommodate motorists. Pedestrians were always accommodated.
He says that the NWA intends to carry-out emergency works on the walkways and that it is intended that at least one of the two facilities will be back in service for pedestrians within 14 days.
In the meantime, Mr. Shaw is appealing to motorists to give due regard to the needs of pedestrians, while they use the main part of the bridge to get into and out of the town. He says that extreme caution should be exercised in using the structure and that parents accompany small children in using the main bridge. The police have also been asked to assist in making the use of the main bridge safe for pedestrians.
