Roadwork dust choking Bull Bay residents

Earlier this year, when her eyes began affecting her, Karen, a resident of Seven Miles in Bull Bay, St Andrew, became worried that she may have developed a cataract.

"Is $25,000 mi pay fi mi eye because mi did a feel some things like gravel in them. Mi start fret say a cataract but the doctor test everything and realise say is not a cataract, but is the dust cause it. It give me allergies and that was why mi eyes dem did so red. The doctor say I should stay out of it as much as possible and give me an eye drops," he said.

The dust nuisance is caused by the construction of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project. The massive project involves the improvement of the alignment from the Harbour View roundabout in St Andrew to Port Antonio, Portland. A four-lane highway is being constructed from Harbour View to Albion in St Thomas.

Karen said that she had to visit the doctor again as her sinuses were affected, and she remains on medication. But despite bothersome dust, she believes the construction will only do good for the community and nation, and so she is willing to bear the discomfort.

"We want the road so we have to work with it. My grandchildren catch cold, so we just buy cough syrups for them. The dust terrible man but we just have to gwan bear it," she said.

Nicholas Phillips, who operates a shop and sports bar in the area, said even with constant wiping and sweeping, he is unable to contain the dust that whitens his establishment.

"If you look even on the trees, you can see say everything white. Sometimes we wipe all four or five times for the day, but it no make any difference. Sometimes we sit down outside and we have to close our eyes when we a talk or else them a guh full a dust. More time the place white like chalk, but it's a development for the area suh we just have to gwan work with it until it done," he said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Upton Evans, who operates a stall along the roadway. Each day he carries a container with water to wash the dust from his produce and to sprinkle on the ground. He told THE WE EKEND STAR that the roadway is sprinkled daily by water trucks but that dries up within minutes because of the sweltering heat.

"Mi normally have mi 'kerchief to tie over mi face but mi forget it today (Thursday). The dust rough out here, man. More time mi just have to keep throwing water on the goods dem because sometimes dem get white like chalk," he said.