Residents cautiously optimistic about plans for new Woodsville Bridge

Western Bureau:

After four years of using the makeshift bridge, which they created when the 100-year-old Woodsville Bridge collapsed in 2022, residents of the eastern Hanover community are greeting the news that they are to get a new bridge with cautious optimism.

During last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels told attendees that the Woodsville Bridge is on a list of 55 bridges that are earmarked for attention under the Government’s Accelerated Rural Bridge Programme.

While some residents of the Woodsville community are expressing delight at the news, Sashagay Frazer, president of the Woodsville Community Development Committee (CDC), was very cautious in responding to the news.

“Announcements are one thing, and actual construction of the bridge is another,” said Frazer. “I know for a fact that our member of parliament, Andrea Purkiss, mentioned it recently in Parliament in her presentation, and the response that was given by the minister [of local government] was that it is scheduled on a programme for this year.

“We have been going through this inconvenience for quite a while, so as residents, we are used to announcements, so we do not work from announcements. When we see something happening then we will become satisfied. Action is what will make us believe that something will be done.”

In making the announcement at the HMC’s monthly meeting, Samuels welcomed the news of the bridge, which has been a long and contentious issue, saying that it was about time the protracted inconvenience to residents came to an end.

LONG-STANDING CONCERN

“It has been a long time since we have been advocating for the replacement of the collapsed Woodsville Bridge, a matter that has long been a source of concern for residents and road users in that area,” said Samuels. “While progress on such a critical infrastructure can sometimes seem slow and uncertain, I am pleased to report that there is now a glimmer of hope and movement in the right direction.

“The Woodsville Bridge has been identified for possible repair or replacement… . As part of the preparatory work for this initiative, consultants engaged under the project travelled from Kingston and met with representatives of the HMC this week during the meeting of the infrastructure committee.”

In noting that the discussions at that meeting form part of the social assessment component of the project, Samuels said it was a part of the technical study guiding the implementation of the bridge replacement.

“This engagement represents an important step forward in the process and signals that the long-standing concerns raised are now receiving serious attention at the national level,” said Samuels. “This latest development should serve as encouragement to all involved as it shows that persistent advocacy on behalf of the communities does make a difference.”

The makeshift bridge, which was undertaken by the residents after their initial pleas for help were ignored, spans a section of the Cabarita River and is the thoroughfare used by residents of eastern Hanover districts, such as Woodsville, Cascade, Flower Hill, and Hillsbrook, to access commercial areas such as Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland, Lucea in Hanover, and Montego Bay in St James.

Because the makeshift bridge was constructed from trees and boulders, which offer limited stability, residents have had to do periodic repairs to ensure that the structure remains as safe as possible.

“We are tired and suffering, so when the action comes, we will feel better,” said Frazer, who also pointed out that one side of the bank at the bridge is eroded and badly needs a retaining wall.

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