In a matter of days, Transport Board buses will be traversing the newly renovated Springfield to Newton Crescent (Bypass Road), soon to be completed by the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW), following the recent closure of Melvin Hill Bridge in St. Joseph.

Operations Manager with the Transport Board, Gena Boyce said, “The diversion route  (Bypass Road) was being prepared by the Ministry to go through Springfield and Newton Crescent, (and) we’ve done at least one test run along that route so we can identify areas for improvement to ease the bus through that location and the Ministry has taken on our suggestion.”

She also outlined how commuters were being transported in a timely fashion, across their districts, since the closure of the bridge.

 “Currently, …we are continuing our diversion of the Chalky Mount bus, along Horse Hill, East Coast, Belleplaine and then it is coming up through Dark Hole, Lower Parks, Upper Parks and continuing into the inner pieces of the Chalky Mount route – Bissex, Cambridge and Chalky Mount.

Ms. Boyce, who admitted that the route is a little longer, said, however, that most of the people have settled and become accustomed to the buses going that way and they have the hope that within two weeks or so (as has been told by the Ministry) “the Newton Crescent Road will be finished and then we will be able to utilise that service”.

The Operations Manager also provided an update on the bus transportation service for school children in the area. She revealed: “Since the start of school, we took into consideration how long the route was going to take and we made some minor time changes to the school services, which have worked really well. The children are getting to school on time. So, the Chalky Mount bus that used to leave from Bridgetown at 7:10 a.m., is now leaving at 6:50 a.m.; so we moved it up a little 15 or 20 minutes.

“And, then we had a second Chalky Mount bus that would leave at 7:30 a.m. and that bus is now leaving at 7:15 a.m., from Bridgetown. So students have enough time to travel this slightly longer route and still get to school, settle themselves and then begin their studies. And, based on our tracking and our feedback, this route is working well; students are getting to school by 8:30 a.m. and we continue to work with the Ministry so that we can improve on the service that we offer. Those are the things that we have done.”

MTW’s contractor the Chinese National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation (COMPLANT) and sub-contractor C.O. Williams Construction Ltd. are expected to start preliminary assessment work on Melvin Hill Bridge this week with the debushing of the bridge.  Following this, the utility companies will review the bridge and plan the diversion of their services. (PR/MTW)

Top MTW’s Paving Unit carrying out paving work along Springfield to Newton Crescent, St. Joseph, Transport Board buses will be soon be travelling on the newly paved road. (Photo by W. Murray/MTW)

MTW’s Paving Unit carrying out paving work along Springfield to Newton Crescent, St. Joseph, the bypass road following the closure of Melvin Hill Bridge in St. Joseph. (Photo by W. Murray/MTW)