It’s not an easy road

Dear Editor,

That stretch of road between Clarendon Park via Scott’s Pass to Whitney Turn near Porus must have been what John Peterson drew his inspiration from when he wrote that gospel hymn with the title It’s not an easy road.

He must have foreseen the need for divine assistance to keep him and others safe when negotiating passage through the valley of the tributary of the Milk River running by that ‘road’.

It is difficult to believe that is the main passage that serves most of the southern parts of the island and also supplies the eastern parishes with food. No wonder so much bruised and broken farm products reach the markets of Kingston.

It would appear that since Whitney’s slaves used that track to drive his drays which carried sugar from his nearby estate to the port, no serious engineering work has been undertaken on that road apart from tossing some tar and gravel over the dray tracks.

It is said that many Jamaican roads were really engineered by animals, since so many of them are really slight improvements on the horse and cattle tracks, some going back to Spanish occupation.

Patching with marl, and a daub of asphalt, is a waste of money and can only make a very temporary fix.

Over the decades I have traversed that road I have witnessed patching treatment being done many times. One is likely to hear that the east to west highway will soon pass that area so there is no need, but this could be at least two years away and will bypass the town of Porus, so the heaviest traffic will still use that route both for cost and convenience.

Other traffic matters are the dangerous conditions existing at the intersection of Half-way-tree Road and Beechwood Avenue, as well as St John’s Road which flows into the Spanish Town bypass. Traffic lights are urgently needed at those intersections, as well as in several other intersections across Jamaica.

Let’s not get me started about the lack of lane markings on roads.