A major artery in the eastern parish of St Joseph was severed on Monday after the sudden collapse of the Melvin’s Hill Bridge, prompting urgent government pledges for a new, wider crossing as residents faced lengthened commutes and mounting frustration over ageing infrastructure.
Less than 24 hours after part of the ageing structure collapsed, forcing its immediate closure, Attorney General and local MP Dale Marshall promised a new bridge will be built within the next 12 months, with demolition and preparatory work expected to begin in as little as two months.
Designs for the new bridge were already at an advanced stage under the $230 million Scotland District Project being undertaken by Chinese contractors Complant, he told reporters.
Marshall said: “A number of the access points and exit points into this area are currently impassable. Fortunately, when this caving occurred, the government had already begun to deal with the question of the bridge, accepting that it’s not suitable for modern traffic.
“Designs were at an advanced stage, and within another two months we should be able to start demolition and reconstruction.”
He acknowledged the “extraordinary inconvenience” to his constituents, who now face circuitous routes and, in some cases, the need to take two buses to reach Bridgetown.
Marshall thanked the Transport Board for working “all night” since the collapse to find temporary alternatives, while noting that “none of them are perfect”.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw also gave assurances that St Joseph remains a top priority under the Scotland District programme.
She said engineers from her ministry and Complant have been instructed to compress timelines.
“If we have to pause or slow down work in another location, that is a directive I have given to ensure all hands are on deck to get Melvin’s Hill Bridge reopened,” Bradshaw said.
“We are thankful there were no serious injuries, but this artery is critical. We cannot afford long delays.”
Bradshaw noted that the bridge has stood for generations and said its age and condition had already placed it on the ministry’s high-priority list.
She added that shuttle options are being considered to reduce the walking distance for residents now forced to disembark on one side of the bridge and walk to the other.
Regarding short-term plans, Chief Technical Officer at the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW), Dave Scantlebury, said the ministry would implement immediate relief measures while awaiting the new bridge.
“As of next week we are going to be looking at Springfield as well as Newton Crescent to fix the area as quickly as possible,” he said.
Crews have already begun bush clearing, which should be completed within a week, to make Springfield a safer alternative route, he said.
Scantlebury added that slight widening and safety improvements would also be carried out on the Bruce Vale bypass, including the addition of a speed hump to slow traffic.
The assurances follow the complaints of residents, who say the collapse has left them effectively cut off from the rest of the country.
Many complain that other key roads in the parish have been blocked for years without repair, leaving them frustrated.
Christina Smith, who lives just below the bridge, said the closure has added as much as half an hour to her daily commute.
“This was the main road … the alternate road is not even the best road, but it’s the only other way to get out of the parish,” she told Barbados TODAY.
Smith said she felt unsafe using the longer route at night due to poor lighting, and on Monday night, opted to park her car and walk across the collapsed structure rather than risk the detour.
“I think something needs to be done urgently because it affects a lot of commuters who pass here daily. St Joseph is feeling blocked off from the rest of the country,” she said.
She added that Transport Board updates have been unclear, leaving commuters uncertain about where buses will now pass. “People just don’t know what’s happening,” she said.
Both Marshall and Bradshaw admitted that Melvin’s Hill is just one part of a larger infrastructure crisis in St Joseph and across the Scotland District, where unstable soils and land slippage complicate roadworks.
The MP pointed to the long-running reconstruction of Liam’s Bridge and similar projects that, he said, have required extensive steel and concrete reinforcement.
He noted that works at Fruitvale Hill and Coconut Grove are now at tender stage, while Airy Hill and Layne’s Bridge are nearing completion.
Noting that these are not simply “scrape and fill” jobs, he said: “They require significant engineering solutions to ensure when we build, it will last us 50 or 100 years.”
Bradshaw echoed this, saying 16 major projects are currently underway in the Scotland District, many of them in St Joseph.
“To the naked eye it may seem slow, but the work involves deep foundations, gabions and proper drainage. We are committed to making sure when these projects are done, they are done properly,” she said.
For now, motorists are advised by MTW to divert at Springfield, then proceed through Blackman’s, Horse Hill and Cox Hill.
Those travelling from Bibby’s Lane or Todd’s Corner should reroute through Chimborazo before continuing on to Horse Hill.
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