BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE residents of the Shadwell and Greenlands area will no longer have to risk their lives walking across three planks of wood when using the shortcut between those two villages, as the new and improved bridge that they have desperately been asking for is finally completed.
The pathway is a shortcut that was created by the residents as a means of having another route to travel when there is heavy rainfall and the ghaut that leads from Dorset Road to Westbourne Ghaut overflows.
For years the residents only had three pieces of board as a means of getting across the bridge, which was usually replaced by three more pieces whenever they cried out for something more stable.
The residents can now rest assured that their cries have been heard as they now have a brand new well structured permanent walkway to use rather than the usual board replacement.
The bridge is made of metal and board and resembles a railway bridge. It also has banisters so that persons would not risk falling over into the ditch underneath, and it also serves to assist the elderly as they can hold on to them while crossing.
The foundation and hand rails are of metal while the flooring if the bridge is board.
One resident of the area expressed his pleasure in the completed bridge stating that "it is a lot better than what was there before".
For quite some time, the residents have been speaking out about the government's refusal to pave and properly develop a passage-way that they use regularly.
On a number of occasions, one such resident, Elvis ‘Jam Down’ Manners, told this media house that the residents have been crying out for years to the Ministry of Public Works and government officials who have not been doing much to aid them.
He said that the pathway desperately needed a permanent bridge because school children and the elderly are the ones who use the shortcut regularly and the permanent fixture would be best for the sake of their safety.
However, members of the Ministry of Public Works have put the final touches on the bridge and the residents now have the permanent fixture that they have been requesting for years.
