BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - PERSONS residing in the Shadwell area will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief as the bridge repair that they have been requesting is finally coming to fruition.
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.
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.
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 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.
Manners said that the residents have been begging the Ministry for this permanent fixture instead of one that would suffer erosion and would need to be repaired or replaced on a regular basis.
SKNVibes contacted and spoke with Director of Public Works, Calvin Pemberton, who said that the work had not begun as yet but the Ministry was "looking into it" and that it would be taken care of sometime soon, but could not provide further details.
"We are going to address the issue in the immediate future, have it repaired and enhanced," he said.
Contrary to what Pemberton said, work has already begun on the replacement of the bridge which, instead of replacing the three pieces of worn out boards with new ones, will be replaced entirely with aBr bridge with all of the 'trimmings'.
So far, most of the large area has been cleared off with the foundation laid for the bridge which, according to a Public Works workman, will not be made of concrete, but rather metal, as it would resemble that of a railway bridge.
He also said the bridge would have banisters so that persons would have "something to hold on to", especially the elderly persons who use the walkway often.
He also said that the work is currently on pause because they have not received the materials as yet.
The Public Works employee said that the bridge should be completed by the end of next week pending the arrival of the materials.
