Residents of Agole in rural St. Catherine are to benefit from a new bridge, which was officially opened on June 15 by Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Bobby Pickersgill.

Built at a cost of $15 million under the Maybe and Johnson Bridge Building Programme, the structure is 43 metres long and can accommodate an axle weight of 9 tonnes.

According to a release from the Jamaica Information Service, Minister Pickersgill in his address said that the building of the new bridge was part of an overall thrust by the Government to build 80 bridges islandwide under the Maybe and Johnson, R.A. Murray and the Government of Jamaica Bridge Building programmes.

"We have completed bridges in Cornwall Barracks and Janga Gully in Portland, Boswell Heights in Temple Hall in St. Andrew, Serge Island and Plantain Garden River in St. Thomas and Sticks River in Westmoreland," he said.

Other bridges to be opened include the Wakefield and Springvale bridges along the Barry detour road in St. Catherine, the Pedro River bridge along the St. Ann/Clarendon border and the Banbury bridge in St. Catherine.

The Minister also pointed out that eight additional bridges have been submitted for design, fabrication and construction. "These are located at Hall Head in St. Thomas, Springfield in Clarendon, Mount Eagle in Westmoreland, the Eustead Foot Bridge and Outram in St. Mary, Steer Town in St. Ann, Troy in Trelawny and Whitehouse in Westmoreland," he said.