Hole lot of trouble

Residents say this stretch of road at Rock Dundo remains unfixed almost a year after it was dug up. (Pictures by Ricardo Leacock.)

Dr Gerranot Mehnert believes the road needs to be widened to accommodate the increased traffic using the road on a daily basis.

These two large potholes at Gibbs Road are proving to be a challenge to motorists who have to manoeuvre around them.

By Lisa King | Sat, January 07, 2012 - 10:39 AM

Residents of Rock Dundo, St James, and Gibbs, St Peter, are calling for major road repairs in the area to alleviate the dangerous driving conditions they have been forced to endure for more than half-year.

At Gibbs Road, there are two large potholes and the road is almost impassable owing to overgrown bush on either side of the road. Meanwhile, at Rock Dundo Main Road a portion of the road which had been dug up to facilitate water works is yet to be repaired.

When the SATURDAY SUN team visited the area, some residents and motorists who use the road network on a regular basis described the roads as hazardous.

Dr Gerranot Mehnert, who has lived at Lower Rock Dundo, St James, for the past ten years, called for the road to be widened to accommodate the increasing number of vehicles that now use it.

Mehnert explained that the road served as a link between Highway 1 and 2, and with a Transport Board bus service using the road it needed some attention.

The doctor, who uses the road frequently, said he usually tried to avoid the holes but buses and trucks which, because of their size, cannot avoid the potholes just go through the holes making the conditions worse.

Apart from wanting the road widened, Mehnert said a concrete tunnel needs to be constructed between the cut rocks at Gibbs Hill to allow rainwater to run under the road. He explained that presently rainwater ran on the right side of the road and washed out sections of it, placing motorists at risk.

Another Rock Dundo motorist called the road at Gibbs deplorable, saying that no major work has been done there since 2008.

He said that overgrown bush made it difficult for motorists to see where they were going and to spot the oncoming traffic.

“You [now] have to pull over in the bush to allow [a] vehicle to pass when two vehicles used to be able to pass comfortably,” he said.

Mike Toy, a Gibbs resident, drew attention to the problem of improper drainage there. He explained that many of the wells in the area were not working and when there was heavy rainfall over seven feet of water settled on his property.

A female resident complained that because the bush had encroached on the road it was very dangerous for pedestrians. She wants the parliamentary representative for the constituency or a Government official to come out and see the situation for themselves and do something about it.