A view of the 'Old Iron Bridge' in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

WHAT'S NOT WORKING?

The old, cast iron bridge in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, is in a deplorable state. The walkway of this historic structure has eroded to the point where ply board has been used to 'pave' the surface. However, that too has deteriorated into a booby trap of breakaways.

SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION:

The bridge is heavily-utilised by residents of Thomas Pen, Old Road and other communities in the Sligoville vicinity. However, since it has deteriorated to its current state, vehicular traffic has become impossible. Travelling on the bridge now requires residents slowing to a snail's pace and taking deep sighs of relief after they have successfully made it to the other side.

Not everyone reaches the other side untouched though. Sydney Frater, a resident of Thomas Pen, said the mother of his child is numbered among the unfortunate victims of the long-standing and ghastly breakaways in the bridge.

"A long time de bridge tan bad," he said. "My daughter is seven years old now and mi baby mother drop inna one a the hole dem when she was pregnant wid mi daughter."

Another Thomas Pen resident, Shernette Gordon, 32, who has lived in the community since she was five years old, also testified against the dilapidated structure. She too has witnessed her fellow residents falling prey to the 'carnivorous' cavities in the bridge. Now, the mother of three says her fears of the dangers associated with the bridge have been heightened because it is her children's main route to and from school.

Latoya, another resident, said although the holes in the bridge are more dangerous at nights, the ultimate state of disaster is when it rains. She likened travelling on the bridge in these times to stepping on slippery rocks as the water-soaked ply-board surface makes it hard to keep your footing. Latoya added that residents are so eager to see the bridge repaired that if provided with the material, they would supply the labour free of cost.

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

Nobody knows.

WHAT'S THE STATUS?

This is a tricky one. Several attempts to ascertain this saw our news team being transferred and referred to various agencies. The St. Catherine Parish Council referred us to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT). The JNHT referred us to the National Works Agency (NWA). The NWA firmly stated they were not responsible and asked that we go back to the folks at JNHT. After contacting the JNHT again, they referred us to the Commissioner of Land who then asked us to contact NWA. The game of ring around the roses went on, but to continue the saga would leave you more confused than you already are. We still do not know who the owner of the bridge is or what the status is.

CONCLUSION:

Crossing the 'Old Iron Bridge' in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, is a task that requires much concentration.

This is yet another instance of abandoned responsibility. This case mirrors the poor state of the roads behind the University of Technology (UTech) in the Papine area. Apparently, the roads belong to nobody. Likewise, the old, cast- iron bridge in Spanish Town seems to be an orphaned structure. But that cannot be the truth. The agency responsible must be shamed into taking responsibility for their negligence and reckless abandon that have caused harm to several residents.

Adults and children are falling into holes, for crying out loud! Do not wait until someone dies before remedial work is done. This is a clear and present danger, as lurking beneath the bridge are rocks big enough to crack a person's skull. Too often we see this kind of disservice and injustice in our nation. A stop must be put to it.

These schoolers carefully negotiate their way across the tricky 'Old Iron Bridge' in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. One wrong step could spell cuts and bruises or worse, they could fall through one of the holes.

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Write to: Tyrone Reid, the Gleaner Company Limited, 7 North Street, Kingston; Fax: 922-6223 Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or E-mail: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com