Just hours before the island was placed under flash flood watch and drenched by heavy rains from a tropical wave, St George North MP Toni Moore raised concern that drainage works at Charles Rowe Bridge remain unfinished nearly a year after a flooding tragedy there.
She said: “The one thing that we are still very concerned about is that as we are in the heart of the hurricane season, we urge all of us to pray that we don’t have any serious fallout during the season because a lot of the drainage work that was to be completed still has not been completed.
“Since the last hurricane season when we had a tragedy here in Charles Rowe Bridge, there was supposed to be a lot of work that was done…That work has not been completed and has not been advanced as far as we would like.”
The outstanding work was a source of anxiety for Moore as the country moves through the hurricane season: “We can only pray to God that we can get through the season without tremendous incident and that by another hurricane season we won’t have the same kind of anxiety as we have had this year and in previous years.”
Turning to roadworks in her St George North constituency, she acknowledged delays to some projects, including the Sweet Vale Road, which had originally been scheduled to begin in March.
She told those gathered at the Valley Resource Centre for the Labor Party’s St George North branch meeting on Sunday that discussions with utility companies had forced changes to the original design of the roundabout.
“Once the different utility companies were in discussion, the design of the roundabout originally approved under former MP Gline Clarke years ago could not be used,” she said, adding that further discussions between engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Works and the construction company identified additional issues, requiring the project to be redesigned.
“Once the engineers with the Ministry of Transport and Works and the company had their back and forth, there were other issues which required more design work, and they had to go back to the drawing board.
“What you don’t want to see happen is that you go and rush and do something and if there is a burst main or so, then the road will have to be dug up. That will cause persons even more frustration.”
Moore said it was difficult to say when Sweet Vale Road would be completed, but stressed the importance of ensuring the utilities, pavements and streetlights were properly installed.
“Having waited this far, I want to make sure that everything that is to be done, the utilities are properly laid. The infrastructure is properly there for the sidewalk and the streetlights and so on.”
She also pointed to the completion of Taitt Hill, despite it not being on the original schedule, as evidence that residents’ concerns were being addressed.
“The cries of St George North constituents were not being ignored, but there are technical issues that have to be resolved in order to make sure the job is done well.”
(JB)
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