Rasbert Turner, Freelance Writer

spanish town

A contract, totalling $12 million, was on Wednesday signed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, with Surrey Construction, to refurbish the 'iron bridge' in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on Wednesday.

The function was held at the Greendale Early Childhood Centre in Spanish Town.

Earl Taylor, director of Surrey Construction, said work will begin within two weeks, to facilitate the strengthening, relaying of bricks and other work on the bridge which is more than 200 years old. The repairs are expected to take three months.

Several persons, led by Mayor Andrew Wheatley, Member of Parliament Sharon Hay-Webster and Minister of Sports and Culture, Olivia Babsy Grange, endorsed the work done by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the Ole Bridge Foundation and the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation.

Hay-Webster told the audience that it was good that work would finally start on the bridge, which has been in a state of disrepair for a number of years.

In his acknowledgement, Mayor Wheatley thanked Rosemarie Green of the St. Catherine Heritage Foundation. "Mrs Green is always enquiring about what is happening to the bridge and that it needs to be fixed as it has good heritage potential and I thank all who made it possible for work to be done," he said.

Three-month duration

Persons thanked the group for their views and said despite the inconvenience, the three-month duration of the project would cause, it is hoped that work will be done on time and benefit residents of Thompson Pen and surrounding areas with employment. It was revealed that while persons from the area would be employed, certified personnel will be a part of the rebuilding process. In addition, instead of cement, the work will be done with lime mortar to restore the bridge.

Taylor told THE STAR that the work would be done in a systematic way to benefit all concerned.

The bridge, that connects sections of Thomspon Pen to Spanish Town, spans the Rio Cobre. Documents state that it was erected in 1801, at a cost of £ 400,000. It is one of two such bridges in the world.

The other is in Australia and is now a national monument. The length of the bridge is approximately 230 feet, all of which will be restored in phases. The initial phase is to restore the bridge to good enough condition for persons to walk across.