In Montego Bay, St James, a top local law enforcement official is sounding the alarm over a critically damaged stretch of roadway, warning that incoming seasonal rains could trigger major traffic chaos and safety risks for thousands of commuters.
Divisional Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels laid out his urgent concerns during the regular monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation on Thursday, pointing to lingering damage from Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, which swept through the region last October. The at-risk segment of the heavily traveled Long Hill road has already shown dangerous signs of deterioration: the underlying land has shifted, and recent rainfall has caused a partial breakaway along the slope.
Samuels emphasized that the situation could deteriorate rapidly with sustained rainy weather. If further erosion occurs, he warned, the roadway would be reduced to a single lane, forcing one-way traffic flow through the corridor. For years, the narrow route, which borders a steep drop-off on one side, has been plagued by severe, long-running traffic congestion. A further restriction on usable road space would disproportionately impact residents and travelers moving to and from the southern parts of the parish, creating gridlock that disrupts daily life.
Beyond the Long Hill road damage, Samuels also used the meeting to highlight a growing safety crisis for workers and motorists near active construction projects along busy roadways. His appeal for improved safety protocols comes on the heels of two deadly recent accidents along the Rose Hall main road, part of the island’s high-traffic Elegant Corridor.
The most recent fatal incident, which occurred on June 1, claimed the life of 22-year-old Bianca Wallace, a worker employed on a local infrastructure project. Wallace was struck by a passing motor vehicle, and the crash also left several schoolchildren with injuries. As ongoing infrastructure upgrades continue to alter traffic patterns along the corridor, Samuels called on both construction teams and road users to prioritize caution.
He urged project managers to implement rigorous safety measures to protect workers in active work zones, and reminded motorists to pay close attention to warning signs and direction from on-site traffic controllers, advising drivers to slow down and allow extra time for their journeys through construction areas.
Responding to Samuels’ multiple concerns, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon gave a formal assurance that the municipal corporation would move quickly to coordinate with relevant agencies to address both issues. Vernon confirmed that he would direct the corporation’s chief executive officer to formally contact the National Works Agency regarding the Long Hill road deterioration, with similar outreach planned for the roadwork safety issues on the Rose Hall corridor to push for urgent corrective action.