Chesterfield bypass a godsend for motorists
Published:Sunday | September 23, 2018 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I wish to convey congratulations to the Government for finally coming up with an excellent idea on how to reduce the terrible traffic woes in lower St Andrew.
The Chesterfield-railway line bypass road will undoubtedly alleviate the excruciating trauma motorists using the Spanish Town Road to Three Miles route had to endure. The reverse, Marcus Garvey Drive to Three Miles, and going on to Spanish Town Road west, is the same nightmare, so motorists using this important corridor will soon breathe a sigh of relief.
I worked at 214 Spanish Town Road between 1989 and 2011, and remember the nightmares I had to endure, especially trying to get home to Vineyard Town, after a hard night at work. It's one of the reasons that eventually catapulted me to migrate; I now call Brampton, Ontario, home.
It's my fervent hope that when the Three Miles improvement project is completed, the Government will not simply abandon the bypass but will find a useful purpose for its continued existence. I would like to recommend one such reason to make this route not just a temporary bypass but a permanent route: the Hunts Bay Jewish cemetery.
It's the oldest cemetery in Jamaica (Jewish or otherwise), and certainly one of the oldest cemeteries anywhere in the New World. The Government can capitalise on this important piece of history, by asking UNESCO to declare the area a World Heritage Site! Even if that isn't achieved, the Government should still renovate the area and promote it as part of the heritage tourism industry.
MICHAEL P. BURKE