Letter of the Day | Spring Village residents need their bridge

THE EDITOR, Madam:

In September 2022 the residents of Spring Village in St Catherine lost something they never knew was so valuable to them. They, without warning, ‘buck up ina’ a blocked bridge as they journeyed home from work and leisure.

The Spring Village bridge was closed by the National Works Agency (NWA) who, after observation, concluded that the bridge was not safe. The NWA noted that the bridge was outdated, among other issues. Since the closure of the bridge, the residents of Spring Village and Nightingale Grove said they have been suffering.

The residents lamented that their sufferation comes in the form of medical and financial challenges to use the alternate ‘track’. The alternate route through Nightingale Grove is longer and in desperate need of repair. The road is riddled with four- to six-inch potholes and is extremely dusty, causing respiratory issues for residents.

Brown furniture becomes dust white and they mentioned that their wet clothes miss the sun, as they cannot hang out their clothes in the day.

The cost to travel the longer route on public transportation has doubled, and has created additional hardship for the residents who are primarily farmers.

The prime minister, in his 2023 budget presentation in Parliament, gave assurance that work on the Spring Village bridge would have commenced by July 2023. The residents are now left to wonder, in December, if it was an election promise for 2025, as they see nothing happening now in their favour.

The recent flooding across the island caused widespread damage, thus prompting the Government to allocate millions for road repairs.

The Spring Village residents now look on over the fence while their bridge becomes a white elephant. The residents feel neglected as their suffering is now 15 months and counting.

The community is also the home of the Jamaica Broilers chicken factory, which is also suffering as a result of the closure of the bridge. The company’s employees and delivery truck drivers have expressed the pains to their pockets and vehicles due to the bridge closure.

The residents shared that being ‘Mr Nice Guy’ is not working out for them and are contemplating disruptive actions if Santa does not make their Christmas merry.

The residents are appealing to the NWA to bring their plight, as a reminder, to the ears of the prime minister. They are fed-up with the treatment they are paying for with the tax dollars and they want their bridge up and running.

HEZEKAN BOLTON