I have just have the pleasure of being detoured around through Bluntas to go to Crossroads because the Station road was blocked due to road construction, yes that is right, road construction!!!!
While driving on the Bluntas detour all the vehicles that passed me and everyone in front and behind me were happily waving and shouting out greetings. It was almost like a rolling party as we all knew this detour meant the roads are finally being fixed.
When coming back down someone at the police station told me I could drive thru, but take time as the construction crew were still there. Well let me tell you - that was the smoothest and safest I had seen that section of road since Hurricane Charlie!!!! I was driving on the right, with a water truck passing me on the left - yes the road was wide enough to do this!!!!! I was laughing all the way and actually felt a bit like crying. Yes, this is just a start, and yes, they haven't even gotten to the Great Bay road turn off yet - but man oh man the work has finally started and for that I am very grateful.
Big up to all who fought the fight and did not give up on pushing the powers that be to start this long overdue project.
Tomorrow I will travel with my camera!
Hallelujah!
Let's hope they're building it right and it will be able to weather the storms of the future.
Geat, great, great news!
Now, we have to press to make sure they do it properly, so that it will last a long time. No quick-fix, stop-gap measure again.
So, let's see if they are going to be putting in the necessary culverts, side drains etc.
don´t laugh too early, people....
Only believe it, when you see it with your own two eyes that the job is done, and when it is done well !!!!!!!!!!!!
Last year, I was in a similar enthusiastic mood when stuck in a jam above the police station. They had started to fix the road there, but only repaired some few meters and then they stopped ....nobody ever understood that !!!!
I really wonder , if they will reach the bad part at the Great Bay road turn off.... !!
And I am pretty sure that they will not do a thing for the road that leads out towards Billy´s Bay and Fort Charles
Sunny_island54', I totally understand what u r saying, but at this point, something is better than nothing at all. After all of our waiting and hoping, we are finally getting some attention, and that is why we are rejoicing, so now we'll just hold on to our positivity, since thats all we can do at this point.
ITS ABOUT TIME!!! Lets hope that it will be all good and the next thing is for us to get our area car sorted. We work so hard as a community and so we ABSOLUTELY deserve this.
GOD BLESS TB.
Elections must be near.
Congrats finaly the road start to work on. Its about time, i hope this time it will last for a long time.
Caution noted, sunny_island54. Nevertheless, let us allow ourselves even a few hours of optimism, while seeking to press for a proper job.
If the community unites around this issue and monitors the work, then perhaps the outcome will be better than you fear.
I'm so glad to hear about this! It's been such a long fight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is a real fix, not a slap-dash bandaid that will wash out in the next big storm. I'm sitting here in New York cheering right along with you, TB!!
GG
With cricket world cup starting next week it is most appropriate.
Did you have a chance to get any pictures Rebecca...or anyone else?
I had a chance to take a few photos yesterday of the construction. Basically, at this point they are smoothing out the roads and working on the drainage pipes. I did not have a chance to drive down into Great Bay. Maybe someone can tell us if they have started work on that road.
Enjoy the view!
This is in front of the Wards house. Big improvement from before already.
Before
Now
Before
Now
Thank god for small mercy.
looks great... I only still wonder , how far they reach.... keep fingers crossed.....
ah,.... and at least I can see they are using big drainage pipes this time... gr8
Rebecca thank you for those beautiful photos,i only pray that they go to fort charles road.
Just to point out the picture with the pick up truck over the washed out road pay close attention to the thickness of the asphalt also the edge of the road you will see this is one of the leading cause of destruction to the countrys road along with an abscence of preventitive maintainance nothing but the best material and technology should be used to re construct this road be vigilant all TB. RESIDENTS take an intrest in this .
Rumour has it that the repairs will go as far as Jakes and cease at that point. One can be delighted with the favour of what is being done, but doesn't the government realise there are many residents and guest houses beyond Jakes?
I have not heard that rumor Celina. I know many of the letters written to the authorities included the Billy's Bay, Bluntas, and Lewistown areas. Let's hope a thorough fix is in the works.
Round Hill to Jakes is well travelled by some. Jakes to Billy's Bay to Fort Charles to Black River is travelled by many. Let's see how far the macadam reach.
I suspect the repairs will stop short of the full distance. The amount of money that has been voted for this project is just not enough to do everything, if it is to be properly done. Furthermore, some areas, such as Bluntas, do not fall under the jurisdiction of Central Government, but the parish council.
My suggestion: Rather than just wait to see how far they will go and then start complaining all over again, start writing to the relevant authorities from now, welcoming what is being done currently, but pointing out that the other pieces of roadway cannot be ignored.
If enough of us do that, the authorities will have to sit up and pay attention.
@Roadrunner........post an e-mail addy for us, please... and we will try do what we can from the distance.........
Sunny,
I dont have email addresses at the moment, but here are some persons who could be contacted:
- Vern Ebanks - Councillor, Pedro Plains division
- Mayor Franklyn Witter
- The Secretary Manager of the St. Elizabeth Parish Council
- The Superintendent of Roads and Works, St. Elizabeth
You could also contact the MP, Donald Buchanan, so that he is aware of the community's concerns, but, as I said, this is more a local government issue rather than one for the MP and central government.
I believe Councillor Vern uses the Bluntas road quite a bit, so he is no doubt aware of the problem and would want to do something about it. Let him know that the community is behind him on this issue and strengthen his hands when he goes to the Council asking for the repairs to be done.
Did anyone noticed the type of drainage being installed ??? Wasn't this the same kind of stupidity that had left us in termoil for so long? Are we to sit by and accept stupidness from such inexperience contractors? As soon as they are finished with their experiment,guess what! One good shower and we are probably worse than where we are now, bearing in mind that they have dug out the area deeper than before. So, don't put your hopes too high just yet. I call it MADNESS!!! What about you?
oh, this is great news... glad they do some repairs...
any update from this week available ?
Why didn’t they use crush stones as a base, oppose to the same inferior marl base that has been use in the pass.
Don’t the contractors get it? marl base is too soft for our environment.
Take my word for it, as soon as the rains comes again the marl will deteriorate, resulting in the road surface decaying AGAIN.
But compare to what we have to drive on now the repair is welcome even if it’s a short term fix.
Crush stone maybe more expensive but in the long run, the cost will be worth it.
Thanks Rebecca for those pics, I know my parents are going to be happy when this is all over with.(smile) I just believe this is the begining of other things to happen in Treasure Beach. This is a start and we all have to continue to think positively.
I am not surprised they have not started to work on the Gt. Bay roads. Remember, Gt. Bay gets treated like an outcast, the stepchild.
I am happy to burst your bubble Hohn as they have started working on the Great Bay road. They have been working on the drainage ditches all week on both the main road and the Great Bay road.
I c that no one really mention Bluntas road and the roads there are in a deplorable condition as well. There are people living in that community and i know that they would like to c the roads fix too. So i hope that they are not just gonna fixed station road and great bay road only. There are billys bay and fort charles road that needs to be fixed also.
I see at least two references to the conditions of the Bluntas and Billy's Bay roads above and know the authorities have been made aware of the conditions of those sections of roads. Let's give the construction crew a chance. They can't repair everything in a week.
Any new pics Rebecca would be great...when you have the time.