Rock residents celebrate news of bridge repair after 5-yr wait
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:29 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
After more than five years without a bridge linking their community to Falmouth, residents of Rock are elated that the structure is one of 55 set to be repaired, thanks to a US$100 million grant from the United Kingdom.
The Rock bridge, which spans the mouth of the Martha Brae River, sits along what was the main route into or out of the eastern end of the Trelawny capital before the construction of the North Coast Highway.
Since its closure in 2019, businesses in Rock have been taking quite a hit amid a dramatic decline in vehicular traffic in the shadow of the highway.
“That sort of news makes me want to jump to the ceiling. If I say I am elated, it would not be enough,” said Jacinth Barnes, who operates Sure Valu Hardware, one of the businesses impacted. “It is the most welcome news I have heard in five years. Since the bridge closure, I have had to be thinking of creative ways to attract customers. I can’t wait to see the bridge reopen.”
Rock, a small fishing village, attracted global attention in 1971 when one of its residents, a then-14-year-old Jason Whyte spent 17 days adrift at sea during a fishing trip with his father, who died after they got lost.
After being forced to toss his father’s body overboard, Jason was left on his own until he was rescued by a passing ship.
He reportedly survived mostly by drinking sea water.
Carleshia Whittaker, a florist who lives and operates her business in Rock, said patronage nosedived after the closure of the bridge.
“When the bridge closed, my expenses went up, and I saw fewer customers. I had to pay more for transportation, and people just avoided the longer route to come by,” said Whittaker, whose business specialises in wreaths and bouquets.
“If I was paying rent, I would have closed. I can now look forward to my business returning to where it was six years ago,” she told The Gleaner.
Dowen Virgo, who operates a petrol station and supermarket in Rock, said that in recent times, he has been contemplating whether to close the business, which has been struggling since the bridge was closed.
“It has been an exercise in patience for me because I have not been seeing the traffic flow that I used to see,” said Virgo, who is now hopeful that his decision to keep the business open will prove to be a wise one.
Like the residents of Rock, former Trelawny Northern Member of Parliament Dr Patrick Harris is pleased.
“The economy of Rock took a beating. The reopening of the bridge will not only benefit the people, but it will bring back the dual entrance and exit out of Falmouth,” said Harris.