Bridge reopening restores vital economic link

The movement of millions of dollars in economic activity, access to hundreds of jobs, and the daily transport of poultry products were among the key reasons the Government prioritised the rebuilding of the Spring Village Bridge in St Catherine.

The bridge, which spans the Cobourne Gully in Nightingale Grove, officially reopened on Friday, restoring a critical link between Spring Village, Worthy Park and Nightingale Grove after nearly four years of disruption.

While Jamaica has numerous damaged bridges in need of repair, Robert Nesta Morgan, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, said the Spring Village crossing stood out because of its importance to commerce and the livelihoods of thousands of people.

“This bridge would have been destroyed several years ago due to heavy rains. As you can see, it is a channel that carries a lot of water,” Morgan said.

The original bridge was closed by the National Works Agency (NWA) in September 2022 after assessments determined that the structure had been severely compromised and posed a danger to motorists and other users. The closure forced residents, workers and businesses to rely on lengthy detours and a temporary footbridge.

To address the problem, the Government approved $250 million for the construction of a replacement bridge. Jamaica Broilers Group, which operates the nearby Best Dressed Chicken processing plant, contributed an additional $50 million towards the project.

Morgan said the bridge's economic significance made its reconstruction a necessity.

“It is an important contributor to commerce. Hundreds of people have to cross this bridge for employment. Tens of millions of US dollars is produced crossing this bridge on a regular basis so it was very important for economics,” Morgan told THE STAR.

“So if we don’t get in the chickens to Jamaica Broilers and the employees, plus the many thousands of people that live beyond the bridge, it would have caused significant problems,” he added.

Construction began in February 2025 under a contract awarded to Dwights Construction Limited. The bridge was substantially completed in May.

According to Morgan, the structure was designed to accommodate the heavy industrial traffic that regularly traverses the route, particularly trucks serving the Best Dressed Chicken processing facility.

“The bridge has to be built in a particular way with a particular level of engineering, to ensure that whatever equipment drives on it. So this bridge has to be graded at a higher level than a normal bridge because of the quantity of vehicles and the size of the vehicles that traverse it,” he explained.

Morgan stressed that beyond its commercial value, the bridge was also critical to the daily lives of residents who depend on it to access work and other services.

“We have not downplayed the cries of the people because the reality of it is that hundreds of people walk across this bridge on a daily basis to get to work. And without the bridge, they can’t get to work to feed their families.”

“One of the main reasons why this bridge was built was because of the risk to life of people having to walk in the river. Whenever it rains, people cannot go to work.”

For Jaimie Ogilvie, vice president at Jamaica Broilers Group, the reopening will bring major benefits to both the company and residents of nearby communities.

“The reopening of the bridge here at Spring Village is much anticipated, long awaited. It’s going to make a difference in the lives of the citizens that traverse these communities — Gutters, Spring Village, Nightingale Grove,” Ogilvie said.

“The businesses in the area, not least of which is the Best Dressed Chicken processing plant, but so many other businesses that were cut off and had to take extensive detours to conduct business that added to the cost,” he added.

Ogilvie said the closure created operational challenges and increased transportation costs.

Clifford Everald Warmington, Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Western, praised Jamaica Broilers for its contribution to development in the area.

“Broilers is a good corporate citizen, they did the road from Gutters straight up to Spring Village at their own expense.”