NWA repairs Hanover roads during lockdown

WESTERN BUREAU:

Road users in some communities in Hanover got a pleasant surprise when they emerged from the most recent COVID-19 weekend lockdown to discover that a number of roads that were riddled with potholes had been repaired by the National Works Agency (NWA).

According to Janel Ricketts, community relations officer at the NWA’s Western Regional Office, her agency delayed the work until over the lockdown weekend so as to have less traffic to contend with while the work was taking place.

“It (the work) started over the weekend. We were trying to make use of the reduced traffic on the road, bearing in mind that we had a lot of damage (to the roadways) coming from Tropical Storm Grace and other rain events, so the programme is really to correct some of those issues that were created,” Ricketts told The Gleaner.

“It is $20 million in total that is allocated for Hanover, but it is part of an $80 million programme for western parishes, so that would be St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and Trelawny,” added Ricketts.

The NWA officer also added that the work should be starting in all four parishes simultaneously, with plans in place to complete it in a two-week timeframe.

According to her, the roadways in Hanover that will be getting attention under the programme include Green Island to Negril, Lucea to Green Island, Green Island to Glasgow, Shettlewood to Maxfield, Shettlewood to Chester Castle, and the Great River to Kew Bridge.

So as to ensure as few interruptions as possible as the project proceeds, Ricketts is asking for the cooperation of all road users in the areas that the roads are being worked on as ultimately, they stand to benefit from the improved roadways.

Bryan Miller