NWA hopes to complete alternative to Gordon Town Road in three weeks
The National Works Agency ( NWA) says it has commenced work on a road that leads through Savage Pen in St Andrew, which it hopes will be completed within three weeks.
Work on the road follows the collapse of a section of the main road leading from Gordon Town to Papine during heavy rains last week.
The Savage Pen roadway will become the alternative route for persons who once used the Gordon Town Road corridor.
With the Gordon Town main road now closed, persons are forced to use the Irish Town or Newcastle Road, which passes through Silver Hill Gap, Content and Guava Ridge. The route, which is lengthy, is the only safe and practical way available to motorists at this time.
Stephen Shaw, manager of communication at the NWA, says that the agency recognised the challenges that many residents face at this time. He said that the Savage Pen road, which is some 1.6 kilometres long, requires extensive work for it to be safe and usable by the motoring public.
The agency commenced work on this road late last week and had several challenges over the
With the Gordon Town main road now closed, persons are forced to use the Irish Town or Newcastle Road ... which is lengthy, is the only safe and practical way available to motorists.
weekend, given the hilly terrain and the need to remove several encroachments, including building materials and old vehicles.
Shaw said that the NWA has moved to acquire some larger pieces of heavy equipment, including excavators and bulldozers. These are expected to assist in cutting through very narrow areas of the corridor in order to allow for two lanes of traffic at a time.
In the meantime, persons are still being encouraged to use the route through Silver Hill Gap, even though it is much longer. Pedestrians are also being reminded that it is extremely dangerous to use the section of road that has broken away, as the drop below is some 80 metres.