Martin used his statement to outline the reasons for the temporary closure of a section of the road that recently was severely damaged and affected by heavy rock fall, in the Timothy Hill area.

Martin said that the decision had to be taken to close that portion of the highway because it had become too dangerous.

The Minister explained that his ministry was advised by consultants that the road was poorly designed and that the blasting process was poorly done.

Other problems discovered by the consultants were that the road was poorly benched, poorly constructed and had difficulty with the drainage causing the erosion of large boulders, said the minister.

He said his ministry and the government generally have been studying plans to examine the possibility of doing work that would seek to improve the overall construction.

Minister Martin went on to indicate that currently, a firm of consultants out of Jamaica is in the island and seeking solutions on what can be done to fix the erosion problem in that area. They are also trying to decide on what can be done to alleviate, regenerate and reconstruct the area.

Dr Martin also disclosed that a new bypass road has been upgraded to provide an alternative for all users, including heavy duty equipment. He explained that one section of the hill will be adjusted, giving vehicular traffic more width for manoeuvring.

Work is also taking place in some sections, said Martin, to resurface those portions, given their poor state.