APNU member Sherod Duncan has called on the Ministry of Public Works to urgently assess and repair sections of the Tiger Hill road and bridge in Region Eight, warning that their condition poses a danger to motorists.
Duncan made the call following a visit to the area with Mahdia Municipal councillors Daniel Fraser and Rapha “Blue” Corbin and members of their team.
In a statement yesterday, he said the roadway was steep, narrow and severely eroded, creating a risk that motorists could lose control and plunge into the ravine below, particularly during rainfall.
According to Duncan, sections surrounding culverts have also deteriorated, leaving large openings along the roadway.
Fraser told him that work began in the area approximately five years ago but that its scope was not properly communicated to the municipality. He said the project remained incomplete despite repeated complaints from residents and motorists.
Duncan also raised concerns about the bridge, saying that an inspection during the visit revealed an uneven deck, deteriorating components and timber braces supporting sections of the structure.
He called for an urgent professional assessment to determine whether the bridge remained safe for continued use.
“The Ministry of Public Works must immediately restrict unsafe use where necessary, conduct and publish a structural assessment, and begin emergency works on Tiger Hill and its bridge,” Duncan said.
He noted that the route connects Mahdia with Mango Landing and is used by residents, miners, goods suppliers and emergency services.
“The authorities cannot continue waiting for public pressure, or a fatal accident, before acting,” he added.
Concerns about the route are longstanding. In December 2024, Stabroek News reported that Tiger Creek Hill was among the most dangerous sections of the journey to Mahdia because of its steepness, erosion and craters created by runoff during the rainy season. Some drivers reportedly allowed passengers to leave their vehicles and walk down the hill as a precaution.
In November 2020, the Tiger Creek bridge collapsed while a heavy-duty truck was crossing it. No one was injured. The Ministry of Public Works had announced a three-week period for emergency repairs, but Stabroek News subsequently reported that rainfall had delayed the work.
As far back as 2008, the newspaper reported that erosion of the approaches to the Tiger Creek bridge had contributed to the temporary closure of the main Region Eight access road for repairs. At the time, the regional administration blamed prolonged rainfall, inadequate maintenance and the use of the road by overloaded heavy-duty vehicles.
The wider Mango Landing-to-Mahdia road has also been the subject of repeated complaints over its condition. In 2012, the then public works minister, Robeson Benn, announced remedial work and said a contract for repairs to the artery was being finalised.
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