Following the passage of Tropical Storm Rafael earlier this week, two critical corridors in St. Catherine remain impassable. The Bog Walk Gorge (Spanish Town to Ewarton) and the roadway from Barton to Ginger Ridge, particularly at Connors, are fully blocked.
Manager of Communication and Customer Services at the National Works Agency (NWA), Stephen Shaw says that there is a lot of cleaning that is required before either roadway is accessible. He says the agency is trying to get equipment into the areas to clear, especially to facilitate the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), as some communities serviced by these roadways have no electricity.
Mr. Shaw explains that there are multiple impediments along the two roadways, stating that the Bog Walk Gorge is blocked at one section by a massive boulder that will require being broken up before it can be removed. There are also fallen trees at sections of the roadway as well as blocked drains that are causing inundation. He says the area from which the boulders were dislodged will likely be unstable and will require some assessment before the area can be safely used.
Meanwhile the roadway from Bartons to Ginger Ridge is blocked by landslides at multiple locations, as well as fallen trees and rocks. Mr. Shaw says while the NWA is trying to get the roadways cleared in the shortest possible time no timeline can be given, at this time, as to when these roadways will be accessible to motor vehicles.
Motorists are being advised to use alternative routes, where possible, to access their destinations. There is no alternative route for vehicular access to community of Connors.
