THE EDITOR, Sir:I AM constrained to write to you regarding the Palisadoes Road leading from the Harbour View roundabout to the Norman Manley International Airport.
Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 devasted that stretch of road, covering and blocking it from end to end, with mounds of sand blown onto the road, from the south-east section to the beach. For days, the airport and Port Royal were cut off from the rest of the country by road.
The NWA after some days of vacillation, eventually got around to doing some clearing of the road, so that vehicular traffic could again move to and from the airport and Port Royal.
It is now three months since 'Ivan's' devastation and nothing has been done to restore the 'buffer' that protected the road from the sea prior to 'Ivan'.
When the road was cleared, all the sand should have been pushed back to the southern side of the road to form a mini-buffer, but this was not done. A lot of the sand was pushed to the northern side of the road where it still remains.
What would be the effect if, God forbid, a storm should hit the island now or in the near future? I shudder to think. That stretch of road will be completely inundated. It will become a part of the sea and the Palisadoes Road will be no more.
The Government needs to do the following immediately to save the road.
As a temporary measure I am suggesting that they immediately remove all that sand that is now resting on the northern side of the Palisadoes Road and place it on the southern embankment near to the sea to form a buffer. Obtain and transport large rocks and boulders from wherever to the area, stretching from the Harbour View Round-about to the airport.Install these boulders strategically along the southern sea front, to form a strong buffer against forceful winds with the raging seas.The above should prevent any erosion of the southern embankment of the road and the total devastation of the road itself. What eventually is going to be needed, is a properly constructed sea wall to protect that small strip of land called the Palisadoes Road. Please stop the procrastination and get to some action now, or else the alternative is not going to be pretty.
I am, etc.,
ROY H. WILSON
7 Temple Meads, Kingston 6
