Heavy rains over the last 24 hours continue to impact roads in several parishes, leaving some impassable, due to landslides and flooding, while others have been reduced to single lane traffic.
Among the major corridors that are now impassable are the Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine, the corridor from Spalding to Cave Valley, Clarendon and Gordon Town Road in St. Andrew. The main road from Lacovia to Maggotty in St. Elizabeth is also impassable due to a landslide at Rice Piece, while Holland Bamboo Avenue has been reduced to single lane, due to fallen trees. The main road near the Black River High School is now impassable, while operators of small vehicles are advised not to attempt to use the road between Luana and Black River at Spring Park. These areas are now flooded.
Manager of Communication and Customer Services at the Nationa Works Agency (NWA), Stephen Shaw says that teams from the Agency are now attempting to reopen those corridors that are deemed safe to execute the needed clearance. Gordon Town Road, which is being impacted by a recurring landslide will remain impassable until it is determined that it is safe to undertake the clearance exercise. Continuous rainfall in the area and the instability of the embankment pose serious risks for clearance at this time.
Elsewhere in St. Andrew, work crews are now attempting to reopen the main road from Unity to Toms River at Florence Hill. Similar work is also underway on the stretch from St. Christopher to Glengoffe at Top Road and at Border. The corridors are currently being blocked by landslides and fallen trees.
A team will be assessing the road through the Bog Walk Gorge as soon as the flood waters recede. Mr. Shaw says that a massive landslide is impacting the main road from Spalding to Cave Valley, Clarendon. Lanslides are also impacting the roads from Trout Hall to Grantham and the stretch from Sunberry to Corn Hill.
In Hanover the main road from Riley to Glasgow has been reduced to single lane due to fallen trees, while there are reports of landslides impacting the road through Lewisburg in St. Mary.
Mr. Shaw is advising the travelling public to exercise extreme caution in using some of the roads at this time as embankment failures are likely, given the persistent rains over the last several days.
