JAMAICA | Eastern Hanover Roads In Crisis: PNP Candidate Demands Urgent Action

HOPEWELL, Hanover, Jamaica January 8, 2025 - People's National Party MP Candidate for Eastern Hanover, Andrea Purkiss, has condemned the catastrophic deterioration of the constituency's road network, describing it as a mounting crisis that threatens both economic survival and public safety.

"Our farming communities are being strangled by these impassable roads," Purkiss declared, highlighting how agricultural producers - the backbone of the local economy - are struggling to transport their crops to market.

The situation has become particularly dire along the major arterial route between Macfield and Shettlewood on the Savanna-la-Mar to Montego Bay corridor, where a gauntlet of dangerous potholes forces travelers to navigate what Purkiss calls "an obstacle course with no alternative."

The constituency's infrastructure woes extend far beyond a single troubled stretch. The Ramble to Hopewell road through Miles Town and Bamboo stands as a monument to governmental inefficiency, with repairs dragging on for over a year with no end in sight.

Meanwhile, communities including Cascade, Woodlands, Haddington, Lethe, Shettlewood, Chichester, and Old Pen have seen their connecting roads deteriorate into patchworks of potholes.

Education access has been particularly hard hit, with the Flint River to Ponside and Castle Hyde Road - crucial routes to Merlene Ottey High School - in what Purkiss describes as "a disgraceful state."

Teachers and students alike must navigate these treacherous conditions daily, while the deteriorating Kew Bridge to Maryland road continues to impact both public safety and local productivity.

Of particular concern is the Shettlewood to Macfield rehabilitation project, a five-mile stretch that has languished in construction limbo for over eighteen months.

"This isn't just about inconvenience," Purkiss emphasized. "These delays and deteriorating conditions are forcing fundamental changes in our communities."

The impact is starkly evident in the Mont Peto, Chigwell, and Old Pen areas, where residents face a stark choice: endure lengthy walks to reach main roads for work or abandon their communities entirely.

More troubling still, the deteriorating infrastructure has begun to compromise public safety, with police patrols unable to access certain areas due to the hazardous road conditions.

"Our verdant, vibrant, and historic communities in Eastern Hanover are becoming increasingly isolated," Purkiss lamented.

"Families and sporting teams that once regularly visited our area now shy away, deterred by the treacherous roadways they must traverse to reach us. We're losing not just our connectivity, but our cultural and social ties as well."

In light of these escalating challenges, Purkiss has issued a direct appeal to Roads Minister Robert Morgan, calling for Eastern Hanover to be designated as an infrastructure emergency zone.

"The constituency has devolved into a disaster area where road conditions are concerned," she stated. "We need immediate intervention before the situation becomes truly irreversible."         

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