Jamaica: PM Andrew Holness opens new Spring Village Bridge in St. Catherine

Jamaica: Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has opened a new bridge in Spring Village, St. Catherine, built under the Government’s Accelerated Bridge Programme at a cost of about $250 million.

Reportedly, this bridge is a replacement of a 150-year-old bridge, which was closed by the National Works Agency (NWA) in September 2022 after concerns about its structural integrity were raised. Speaking about the bridge, Holness said, “This is a project that we consider to be in the national interest.”

Furthermore, he also addressed the time it took to establish this structure. It took four years to complete this project as specialized equipment which were required in the constructions were unavailable, so this project was put out to tender multiple times. “The project required specialised equipment; piling equipment that had to drive piles a hundred and odd feet into the ground to make sure that the foundation of the bridge is stable. Some of our contractors don’t have that equipment, so this was put out to tender about two or three times,” Holness explained, while noting the need to identify a specialized contractor with appropriate machinery.

The project was undertaken by Dwight’s Construction Limited, which was also responsible for the construction of Troy Bridge, a $230 million structure that connects Troy to the Oxford main road at the Manchester-Trelawny border.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with Responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan, also remarked about the significance of the bridge in the daily lives of the residents.

“This is an important day for the communities that depend on this corridor. For several years, residents, workers, students, businesses, transport operators, had to live with the difficulty of traversing Spring Village without the bridge, so today is not simply the opening of a bridge. It is about restoring connection that matters to daily life, commerce, public safety and community confidence,” he said. 

Arlene Williams, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic and Job Creation reminded citizens that bridges are more than steel and concrete. “They are the physical manifestation of human connection. When we build a bridge, we don’t just cross a geographic divide; we open new pathways for commerce, culture and community to thrive together,” she stated.

Further, Everald Washington, Member of Parliament, St Catherine South Western, also expressed gratitude on behalf of the community.

The new bridge is expected to ease transport between Spring Village and nearby communities while ensuring safe and reliable access to schools, jobs, and emergency services.