‘They need to move faster’ - Trinityville residents plead for new bridge after flood destroys roadway

As THE STAR team roved through a section of Font Hill, St Thomas, yesterday, what became evident was the raging flood water.

The water was gushing through part of the Morant River and residents who appeared to have been displaced by the flood, were making their way on to a tractor which escorted them safely to banks to make their way home to the neighbouring community of Trinityville.

The disgruntled residents said they are hoping that the new bridge being constructed would be done more expeditiously.

"We need the road and the place fix up. A six man them have on the bridge. We need 30 because them a take too long. A bare suffer people a suffer. Them need to move faster," Clement Dixon told THE STAR. Dixon has also been offering his 'chauffeur services' to his fellow community members since the temporary roadway collapsed.

"You see like how the place wash away now, we have to help out the people them and carry them home. Trinityville is about two miles up and we have old people. We can't make them walk so far," he said.

Discomfort being experienced

The Coley Bridge, which was once erected in Font Hill, was demolished, and residents have been anticipating that it would be replaced by a triple-cell box culvert as a part of preliminary works being done under the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project. However, the discomfort being experienced now is not soothing.

"This morning, I got up and went out to do something and now I come to go home and see that I can't cross. This is the second time the river a come and me really feel frustrated," said 70- year-old Darr Elliot. "Me just can't take it and me never buy no food or so and I don't know when I'm going to come back out."

Renae Lawson, who has been living in the area for 28 years, said she anticipated the disaster once the heavy rain started.

"I was expecting it because in August we had the same problem. So when I heard there was rain in St Thomas, I knew it would be like this," she said.

Lawson is, however, eagerly waiting for the bridge to be completed.

"I don't know how long before this will be fixed, but on a normal day it is a dry river and there is a temporary roadway," she said. "I'm just hoping things will speed up now because this is really stressful."