An elderly lady leaps perilously over cavernous cracks in the extensively damaged Whitehall Road - PHOTOS BY IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WHITEHALL ROAD is probably the most deplorable in the island.
Residents revealed that an earthquake in September last year caused a huge crack in the thoroughfare. Then, heavy rains associated with Hurricane Wilma delivered the knockout punch.
The scene along Whitehall Road is just scary. It is the worst I have ever seen. As a matter of fact, leaving the road like that is dangerous for persons living in the area as well as those driving through the area.
While on the scene, The Gleaner saw an elderly lady perilously leaping over the gaping trenches in an attempt to get to her destination. It seems to have become an unofficial attraction for St. Mary, as motorists pull over to observe the devastation. It seems the road collapsed more than 20 feet in some sections. The cracks are so wide they could swallow a camel.
Bobby Montague, Mayor of Port Maria, told The Gleaner that the road is a part of the network controlled by the National Works Agency.
Businesses stationed along Whitehall Road com-plained bitterly that their operations have suffered greatly as a result of the damage.
"We had a lot of trucks passing by, but now they have been forced to use another road," one operator lamented.
They have no idea when normality will return.
WHAT'S NOT WORKING: St. Mary is plastered with potholes.
SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION: The back-aching ride through St. Mary has given endorsing credence to the claim that the parish is the undisputed 'Pothole Parish' of Jamaica.The parish that is traditionally known for its bananas has gained much notoriety for its bad roads. Something must be done to remedy this situation.
