Ladyville Residents Face Flooding From Highway Works

The old adage progress brings problems is being felt by a group of Ladyville residents, who are experiencing flooding due to construction on the Philip Goldson Highway. As works continue to upgrade the highway from the Airport Junction to the Lords Bank Junction, the works are causing water to back up along that stretch. Village Chairman Bernardo Bennett spoke to our newsroom today, saying that it was all just growing pains for the village. He pleaded with the affected residents to bear some patience as the works roll on. 

Bernardo Bennett, Chairman, Ladyville: “What has been taking place the contractor is starting to fill the full width of this highway but what has been happening the contractor needs to fill everything up including where drainage was before. I was informed by the engineer from the MIDH and the contractor that as soon as they have finished filling in the full width of this two lane highway they will commence with drainage on both sides. The drainage will be three feet deep on both sides of the highway. Now of course we are reaching the rainy season so what has been happening since the drains are filled we’re experiencing a little flooding issue but I just want to ask all the residents and the people who have businesses along the highway to please bear patience with the construction of this section of road, it won’t be forever so please it’s not something that I want to see happen but because of the process of the engineering of the section this is what has been happening. It’s not too bad it’s just a section on the highway by Ladyville Tech School that where we have a couple businesses and areas that are experiencing a lot of flooding and by the Ladyville Evangelical School we have some little bit of flooding. But by the Love Lotus whenever the rains fall within a couple of hours the water runs of the highway up that section because the contractor hasn’t reached that area as yet so we’re not experiencing the mass flooding per se.”

Bennett says he has not been given a timeline for the completion of the works.