Reconstruction of Farm Road to Valley Heights Bridge in St. James Underway

St. James, Jamaica — Reconstruction of the Farm Road to Valley Heights bridge is currently in progress, with completion targeted before the upcoming school year. The St. James Municipal Corporation, leading the project, estimates the cost at approximately $13 million.

The bridge, a crucial infrastructure link, was compromised on July 2, just before the arrival of Hurricane Beryl. The damage was caused when residents set fire to debris beneath the bridge to clear the water channel, inadvertently weakening the drainage system and the bridge’s structure. The weakened bridge ultimately collapsed under the weight of a fire unit responding to the incident.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, provided an update on the project during an interview with JIS News on July 25. “The project is currently in the excavation and channeling phase,” he stated. “In the end, we will realize a new and significantly improved concrete bridge, costing approximately $13 million, which will benefit well over 30,000 people.”

The new design replaces the previous high-density Polyethylene (PE) Advance Drainage System (ADS) culvert pipe with a reinforced concrete box culvert. This upgrade is expected to provide greater durability, withstand heavy loads, and resist corrosion, ensuring long-term stability and safety.

Mayor Vernon emphasized the project’s timeline and the materials used, which are intended to expedite the construction process, aiming for completion within eight weeks. “We are working tirelessly to ensure that we have ease of passage at that point in time and that we get the roadway back to a level of normalcy quickly,” he added.

The project is a significant infrastructure improvement for the region, promising enhanced safety and accessibility for the local community as the bridge reconstruction progresses.