Alley Bridge Damaged by Tropical Storm Grace’s Heavy Rains

Residents and motorists who use the Alley Bridge, in Southern Clarendon are once again calling for intervention to improve the infrastructure. When CVM Live visited the Alley Bridge in June 2021, residents warned that with the slightest downpour the bridge would be destroyed.

Their fears have come to pass, as water associated with Tropical Storm Grace washed away sections of the bridge. The section that was covered in marl has been reduced to rubble, with bamboo sticks alerting drivers of the danger. For years, residents have had to find alternative routes during heavy rains as the river rises and swallows the bridge.

A resident, Blake, says a pile-up of branches and bamboo on both sides of the bridge were blocking the flow of the river, forcing the water to rise above the bridge. And as the sayings goes, silent rivers run deep, residents and motorists have to exercise extreme caution as they traverse

Crocodiles also live in the nearby sections of the river, heightening the fears of some residents. They are amplifying their calls for a total rebuild of the structure, and according to them their persistent call for a long-term solution has been met with only short-term solutions.

More in this CVM Live story from Christeen Forbes: