The Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine, which was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Friday after rains from Tropical Storm Gustav caused the Rio Cobre to rise well over 11 feet, might be inaccessible for another month based on an initial assessment of the damage to the roadway and the Flat Bridge the Observer has learnt.

Yesterday, an almost two-mile trek through the gorge from Bog Walk showed that sections of the road stretching to the Flat Bridge had been eaten away by water from the river, which runs the length of the gorge, to reveal huge water mains underneath. Parts of the bridge itself were also eaten away by the flood waters.

These two residents of Bog Walk are forced to carry their bicycles along this stretch of the Bog Walk gorge which collapsed after the Rio Cobre broke its banks as a result of rains caused by Tropical Storm Gustav between last Thursday and Friday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Tropical Storm Gustav, which tunnelled a path of destruction across the island from Thursday night into Friday, had literally walked the length and breadth of the gorge - the main link between Jamaica's capital Kingston and the north coast. And, from the looks of the crumbled road the storm could easily be described as a skilled excavator.

Chunks of asphalt lay broken like ply where the strong currents had overridden several sections of the retaining wall, eating their way across the road to leave it as rocky terrain and as treacherous as the mountainside opposite. Trees lining the river's left embankment and the mountainside to the right of the road itself showed the heights to which the waters had risen.

Yesterday, several tractors and trucks owned by Baccus Engineering were being used to tackle the mammoth task.
"It's the worst I've ever seen it since I've been here so far," a National Works Agency (NWA) employee, who asked not to be named, told the Observer.

A cyclist skilfully manoeuvres a section of the Flat Bridge which was eaten away by Gustav's flood waters. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

A supervisor for Baccus Engineering, who gave his name as Morris, said work had begun since Saturday.

Douglas Moodie, the NWA parish manager for St Catherine, said from the extent of the damage the agency would probably need more equipment.

"We will have to call for more equipment. We will definitely bring in some more tomorrow because the more equipment we have it's the faster we will get through. Currently, we have three front-end loaders and some trucks working with," he said.

"First we have to remove the debris and fill out some of these craters. I have been in charge of St Catherine for eight years and we have been through many flood rains, and this is the worst we have seen," Moodie told the Observer.

He said it "will take probably about three weeks to a month to do what we have to".

"We might be able to work some nights, but for the time being we will work during the days," he said, adding that it was clear that the damage amounted to millions of dollars.

Yesterday, NWA communications manager, Stephen Shaw, said the agency was "still trying to put the final figure together".
He said while the agency was aware of the damage to the road, it had not yet carried out an assessment - an activity he said will be undertaken today.

Yesterday, residents took the time to do their own assessments. Some at times had to do a balancing act on the water mains in the road's belly for lack of other surfaces on which to walk.

"Di place dig out wicked round dere. I never see it like this yet, not even the June flood (1986) nevah do this," Hopeton Carnegie, a resident of Bog Walk, told the Observer.

Carnegie, who said he was a bus driver who transported children from Linstead to Kingston and back daily, fretted that the condition of the road would leave him no choice but to take the alternate route.

"It a go slow mi up a lot because mi have to go travel all the way roun' Barry (also an alternate route) so that means I going to have to leave by 3:00 am instead. Mi a go burn more gas, so it a go affect mi financially," he said.

"Onnuh have nuff work fi do," one youngster, who was carrying his bicycle rather than riding it, advised the workmen.

"In all my 60 years I never see nothing like this," one elderly gentleman called out as he walked by gingerly.

Former transport and works minister, Robert Pickersgill, also visited the gorge. Pickersgill told the Observer that he had been visiting his North Western St Catherine constituency and decided to stop by.

"I hear this is the worst it has ever been," said Pickersgill, who did not venture far onto the roadway.

The flood-prone gorge has been closed several times over the years. More recently it was closed in October last year and January 2006 because of flood damage.

The first road through the gorge is said to have been cut in 1770. The first bridge, connecting both sides of the gorge, was made of wood but was replaced by the Flat Bridge, which is made from cut stone and mortar. A marker there shows where the water rose to 25 feet above the bridge in 1933.