Closed Spring Village bridge collapses

Officially closed since 2022 due to safety concerns, the bridge has remained a vital but hazardous passage for pedestrians attempting to travel between Spring Village and Gutters.

Despite warnings, people continued to use it until the underlying earth gave way, exacerbated by yesterday’s heavy rainfall and flooding from the Coburn Gully, which overwhelmed its banks after 16 hours of torrential downpour.

The incident has raised serious concerns over the state of infrastructure in the community, especially given that it has been five months since the Jamaican government approved a $230 million contract for a new bridge.

This decision came after a tour of the area by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Member of Parliament Everald Warmington, and executives from the Jamaica Broilers Group.

Despite this approval, there has been no public announcement of a start date for the new bridge's construction, and commuters continue to struggle.

Residents and commuters have already been dealing with a drastic increase in transportation costs since the bridge's closure. Alternative routes have caused fares to spike by more than 1000% in some cases, significantly impacting those who rely on affordable transport to travel between communities.

A footbridge, built in the summer by Jamaica Broilers, open today for public use ostensibly to reduce travel time and cost and lessen the burden of an already inconvenienced people.

The situation underscores the urgency of addressing critical infrastructure needs in the region, and local stakeholders are likely to continue pushing for more immediate action to alleviate the strain on commuters and prevent further disruptions to the local economy and daily life.