KINGSLAND, Manchester — Repair work on the Kingsland to Spur Tree main road began Thursday afternoon following calls for the National Works Agency (NWA) to improve the condition of the thoroughfare.

Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips, while acknowledging that a contract has been signed for the road to be repaired, is concerned that the thoroughfare was left to deteriorate for too long.

“I spoke to Minister [Robert] Morgan about the Spur Tree Road that…is a major thoroughfare between the east and western side of the island. It is in a deplorable condition,” Phillips said in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“I understand that a contract has been signed and the National Works Agency has just received the insurance bond from the contractor. I know the weather will affect the timely repair of that road, but it has been waiting for a long time. We didn’t have to wait until it got to point,” added Phillips.

Residents and motorists have long complained to the Jamaica Observer about the state of the road.

“The road split in two at some points. Right now 20 minutes has been added on to the travel time to get to and from Mandeville, it is just crazy. The rains made it worse, because those potholes were babies from months ago and now they turn big people and spread right across the road,” said a motorists, who asked not to be named.

“Almost every other day there are reports of accidents there and if it is not an accident, people car front mash up. The potholes are very deep,” said a Kingsland resident, who also requested anonymity.

Phillips claimed that a motorcyclist narrowly escaped serious injuries after an encounter with a pothole on the Kingsland to Spur Tree main road.

“Just yesterday a young man hit a pothole and fell off his bike, because of the depth of that pothole, nearly losing his life. Many Jamaicans have been busting their tires on that roadway. We don’t have to wait so long so that it deteriorates to the point that we have to be spending way more than if we cauterised it at the beginning,” added Phillips.

A section of the Kingsland main road pockmarked with potholes.

PHILLIPS… we don’t have to wait so long so that it deteriorates to the point that we have to be spending way more than if we cauterised it at the beginning