Spring Village Bridge listed in $1.3 billion fiscal budget

This was revealed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Everald Warmington while addressing members of the Standing Finance Committee in the House of Representatives on March 1.

• Closed Spring Village Bridge severely compromised, dangerous
• Warmington provides update on Spring Village bridge

In reviewing the estimate of expenditure from which the government will be spending $1.3 billion on bridge repairs and maintenance in the 2023/24 fiscal year, it was noted that the allotted amount represents an increase over the $70.7 million that was budgeted for the bridge development and construction programme for the current budgetary cycle which ends March 31, 2023.

In addition to the construction of a new bridge at Spring Village, the ministry will undertake reconstruction of bridges in Troy, Trelawny; Shrewsbury and Longwood, Westmoreland; Southwood in Clarendon and Llandewey in St. Thomas.

The list also includes the border bridge linking St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, Guanaboa Vale Bridge in St. Catherine, Alley Bridge in Clarendon, and Junction Bridge in St. Ann.

Warmington, the Member of Parliament of St Catherine South Western and a qualified civil engineer by profession, stated that maintenance work will be undertaken on selected structures islandwide, including the bridge rails at Tatchwalk in St. Ann and another structure in St. Mary.

“We are particularly pleased with the increased allocation under the bridge development and construction,” he said as quoted by state media, the JIS.

“The ministry intends to ensure that the connectivity between communities is returned to its optimum.”

Opposition spokesperson on Housing, Transportation and Works, Mikhail Phillips, said the increased allocation for bridge maintenance and replacement “is a step in the right direction”.

In September of last year the Spring Village Bridge was ordered closed with immediate effect by the National Works Agency (NWA) following an assessment of its structural integrity.

As one of the larger communities in southwest St Catherine, its closure is having a negative impact on residents and commuters in general with travel time increase by at least an extra half hour.