Left: Danger! Drivers going up the hillside have to be extremely cautious. One bad move and they could end up in the rocky ravine below. Right: A truck goes past this treacherous breakaway along upper Mannings Hill Road, St. Andrew. - PHOTOS BY JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WHAT'S NOT WORKING:
A section of Mannings Hill Road, St. Andrew, has broken away and now poses grave danger to persons who use the major thoroughfare.
SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION:
Travelling along Mannings Hill Road, up the hillside, is quite a breathtaking sight.
However, that suddenly changes when you approach the sizeable breakaway to the side furthest from the hill.
It looks as if an unidentified road-eating monster had a big chunk of the asphalt for lunch.
The residents have used sticks and a pile of dirt to warn unsuspecting motorists of the lurking danger.
So substantial is the breakaway that two cars are unable to pass simultaneously along the roadway.
Residents of Belgrade Mews, which is located above Havendale, who alerted The Gleaner to the situation, said that the road has been in this state of disrepair since the passage of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
According to residents, in April a car almost ended up in the ravine below.
A wrecker truck had to be called to pull the car out of the breakaway. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The roadway seems to be getting worse as underneath sections of the remaining asphalt is being eroded.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?
The Road and Works Department of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) said that Mannings Hill Road is a main road and falls under the purview of the National Works Agency (NWA).
WHAT'S THE STATUS?
Efforts to get in touch with the NWA were unsuccessful.
CONCLUSION
The surface needs to be urgently fixed. Leaving the road in this state of disrepair is a disgrace. It is not only a disgrace but is also rather dangerous. Please do not wait until somebody is seriously injured or killed before something is done to remedy the situation.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Tell us about problems in your community. We will visit and help to lobby for action. Write to: Tyrone Reid, The Gleaner Company Ltd., 7 North Street, P.O. Box 40, Kingston;
Fax: 922-6223, Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or Email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.
