MP faces road rage - Havendale, Meadowbrook residents vent frustration over state of community infrastructure

Nearly 30 residents spent close to two hours pressing Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew North Western, Duane Smith, on Sunday over deteriorating roads, stalled infrastructure projects, roadside businesses, and the use of constituency funds during the Havendale Meadowbrook Citizens Association’s (HMCA) monthly meeting.

The meeting, held at the Havendale and Meadowbrook Community Centre at the corner of Border Avenue and Flemington Drive, was chaired by Association President and National Neighbourhood Watch President Opal Davis.

Throughout the session, residents repeatedly challenged Smith over what they described as years of deteriorating roads, poor coordination between government agencies, and an apparent lack of long-term planning.

One resident summed up the frustration shared by many in attendance, arguing that roads were being repaired only to be dug up months later because ageing water mains had not first been replaced.

“We don’t get the sense that we have a plan,” the resident said, questioning why millions of dollars were being spent rehabilitating roads before underground infrastructure issues were addressed.

Another resident complained that sections of the roadway excavated by the National Works Agency (NWA) had remained unfinished for extended periods, while others criticised the slow pace of repairs on roads, including Flemington Drive, Watervale Avenue and Cool Water Avenue.

Residents also complained about what they described as poor communication from public agencies, repeated excuses for delays, and a lack of timely responses to concerns raised by the community.

“The unresponsiveness, the excuses with many of the issues we have, and people flouting the law,” a resident highlighted.

Smith acknowledged the frustration, but defended the Government’s approach, explaining that the SPARK Road Rehabilitation Programme targeted roads identified by residents during a July 2024 consultation as having gone more than four decades without major repairs.

“The SPARK Programme was designed for roads that residents themselves selected … roads that haven’t been fixed in over 40 years,” he said.

He added that heavily travelled corridors were often prioritised over smaller community roads because of limited resources, while noting that one of the roads completed under the programme, Addington Avenue, had remained in good condition.

Some residents questioned why off-road projects were being prioritised over main thoroughfares.

Addressing complaints about roads repeatedly being excavated, Smith said there was a memorandum of understanding between the National Water Commission (NWC) and the National Works Agency (NWA) requiring agencies to monitor repaired water mains before permanent resurfacing is undertaken, in order to reduce the likelihood of roads being redug if another leak develops.

He said he understood residents’ concerns, and described the NWC as one of the most challenging agencies to work with, noting that they were “challenging to deal with”.

The MP also referenced the Government’s proposed One Road Authority, an initiative intended to consolidate responsibility for Jamaica’s road network under a single entity to improve planning, maintenance and accountability, replacing the current system where different agencies manage different categories of roads.

“SPARK is a special $40-billion programme, but it’s not the only programme,” Smith said, after residents suggested it only covered about 10 roads.

Residents, however, maintained that better coordination between the NWC and NWA was needed before road rehabilitation projects began.

One resident questioned whether state agencies were equipped with the necessary technology to properly assess roadworks and prevent the waste of millions of dollars.

When asked about the patching of minor roads, Smith said difficult decisions had to be made with finite resources.

“We have difficult decisions to make with limited resources,” he said, before outlining how his annual $20-million Constituency Development Fund allocation is distributed.

Smith said approximately $10 million is earmarked for back-to-school assistance, while the remaining funds are shared among roadworks, prescription and medical support, housing assistance, economic enablement grants, and other emergency needs across the constituency.

He added that when constituents are unable to bury their loved ones, they often turn to the MP for help.

He stressed that the constituency budget serves all communities under his representation, making it impossible to address every request within a single financial year.

The discussion also extended beyond roads, with residents raising concerns about roadside shops and stalls operating along Manning’s Hill Road, weekend construction activity and landscaping noise.

Davis told residents that she had researched the regulations governing construction work and would continue examining the rules relating to landscaping, so that the association could provide accurate guidance.

She noted that in areas where construction activity is prevalent, there are designated cut-off times for workdays, as well as days when work is not permitted.

She also encouraged the neighbours to resolve disputes amicably wherever possible.

Before the meeting ended, Smith suggested that representatives of the NWA and NWC be invited to the next citizens’ association meeting to respond directly to the residents’ concerns about road rehabilitation, utility works and project timelines.
andre.williams@gleanerjm.com

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