Long Lane road closure set as NWA targets recurring Stony Hill breakaway

A troubled section of Long Lane in St. Andrew is scheduled to close at 10 p.m. Friday as the National Works Agency moves to carry out major repairs on a recurring road failure near Stony Hill. The agency says the closure is needed to allow extensive work on the damaged area, which has slowed motorists and caused repeated concern among residents.

Drivers using the corridor have been forced to inch across the broken section, with many trying to avoid damage to tyres, front ends and other vehicle parts. People who live and work nearby say the same spot has been repaired several times before, only for the problem to return. They also reported crashes and close calls along the route.

St. Andrew North Central Member of Parliament Delano Seiveright said the NWA had awarded a contract to address the issue. He said residents had raised concerns about vehicle damage and serious accidents on the corridor, including incidents that caused major injuries and, in the past, fatalities. Seiveright said leaving the matter unresolved would allow the problem to worsen.

One person familiar with the area said the section had already been fixed about four or five times and had deteriorated after each repair. Another said the holes created by the failure had caused significant damage to vehicles, although he had heard of accidents rather than personally witnessing them.

Ray Gascoigne, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, said the community wants a lasting solution. NWA communications manager Stephen Shaw said investigations found that expansive clay beneath the road continues to be affected by water coming from the hills. When the material becomes wet, he said, it is prone to major failure.

Shaw said the latest repair plan is to excavate the affected section and remove all, or most, of the clay material. Mott MacDonald Construction is the contractor, and a company representative said work should begin Friday night. The road is expected to reopen at 3:30 a.m. Monday. Motorists are being directed to use Old Stony Hill Road, with traffic signs to be placed in the area.