South Coast Road Report

[brownsd54]

I am looking for information on the condition of the road between Sav and MoBay and I thought I'd pay it forward by giving a heads up for anyone taking a south Coast tour to Black River, Treasure Beach, or Appleton Estates. My wife and I signed up for a rum blending course at Appleton Estates. This course was taught by the master blender herself, Joy Spence. This will go down as one of the most memorable experiences of all my years coming to Jamaica.

Just the heads up though, the bridge just outside of Sav, this would be between Sav and Ferris Cross, is out. I believe it's called the Paradise Bridge. We know this for a fact because there were signs saying the bridge is out but still lots of traffic come and going on the road. We decided to have a look and one side of the bridge is washed out but you could still pass over it in the other lane. The road Authority has blocked the road with a gravel barricade but cars were still able to driving around it. I would assume the barricades will be fixed shortly and you won't be able to drive around. The best route to the South Coast is through Petersfield and then down to Ferris Cross. Going to add about 30Kms to your trip. The Jamaican Government will step up to the plate and have the bridge fixed in short order. I'd say probably 3 maybe 4 years.

[Marko]

yes this bridge can't be used now and if you go the other way it takes at least 4-5 times as long to get to Mobay...kmt
the infrastructure of Jamaica is so poor and the roads/bridges are just an understatement of the way things are now
there is no word of when a new bridge or temporary bridge will be put in place......
this one bridge is severely impacting commerce in the region as all businesses and the public are complaining...
there was even a letter to the editor in the Jamaica Gleaner today about this bridge.....
soon come....ugh

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Bnewb]

Poor Rob...spent too much time explaining to me where this bridge is located.
It's rare that I use the South Coast road much anymore unless we're going somewhere specific to the area.

I've been taking the North Coast route to Kingston the last couple of years, as it's significantly faster than the South Coast roads...because of the road problems like the bridge, pot holes, washed out areas, etc...

[Markospoon]

Question:

Is Bluefield's Beach before that mess, or after??

Thanks

[Accompong]

Question:

Is Bluefield's Beach before that mess, or after??

Thanks

Original post said between Sav and Ferris Cross so that would be well before Bluefield's Beach. It is that little narrow bridge just a mile or two outside Sav.

Peace and Guidance

[Rob]

There seems to be much interest in this topic. So I checked with a half dozen drivers who have been out to the South Coast in the last week to get their take on it.

They all felt it was no big deal. The ones who took the detour said it added about 20 minutes to the journey. Some opted to go through the road closure, using what is left of the bridge.

None suggested that that the trip to MoBay would be substantially longer, so I hope Marko can clarify his comment. I read the letter that was in the Gleaner. The writer mentioned that the longer detour, compared to the other detour, was "almost four to five times the distance". If Marko would let us know why the trip to MoBay is four to five times longer, that would be great.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...s-westmoreland

For residential traffic, this has to be a burden especially during the holiday season. But for the most part, a visitor shouldn't be overly concerned about it.

[Marko]

None suggested that that the trip to MoBay would be substantially longer, so I hope Marko can clarify his comment.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/l...s-westmoreland

For residential traffic, this has to be a burden especially during the holiday season. But for the most part, a visitor shouldn't be overly concerned about it.

not only mi but mi friends/acquaintances/expats in Westmoreland all saying that bridge being out is a pain in the royal ass and it needs to be fixed......or replaced.....or temporary bridge put in
Cool Runnings, Marko

[Rob]

not only mi but mi friends/acquaintances/expats in Westmoreland all saying that bridge being out is a pain in the royal ass and it needs to be fixed......or replaced.....or temporary bridge put in
Cool Runnings, Marko

Marko,

Your comment about the MoBay to Sav route is completely different than anything suggested by the OP Brownsd54 and the letter to the editor in the Gleaner.

You state that the Sav to MoBay route takes 4 to 5 times longer. That would make the trip 6 hours longer. No one; tour operators, residents, ex-pats, etc, are making such a statement.

The reason I asked you is for the benefit of our visitors who may want to travel from MoBay to Sav or thinking about a South Coast tour.


To all,

To clarify for our visitors who may be considering the MoBay to Sav trip, it is not true that it takes "at least 4-5 times as long to get to Mobay" from Sav. The trip is longer, but by 20 minutes or so, not the 6+ hours as has been suggested. It is a pain in the butt, not a day wasting vacation changer...

Please enjoy your trips and tours and don't worry about the bridge!

[brownsd54]

Just to clarify a little. If you are driving from Negril to Sav, that road is called the A-2 according to the map. When you get through Sav you get to a traffic light (sometimes working, most times not) just passed the Sav hospital. If you take the road to the left you are heading towards Petersfield on the B-8 road. Petersfield is a beautiful area and the roads are OK. This is the fastest and best way to MoBay and no loss of time that way. If you go right at the traffic light, you are staying on the A-2 and heading towards Ferris Cross, Bluefields, Whitehouse and Black River, this is the road where the bridge is out. So this bridge being out is no loss of time for anyone going to MoBay but you will have to detour if you are going to Ferris Cross, Bluefields, Whitehouse and Black River. You just need to detour through Petersfield and down to Ferris Cross, maybe 20 minutes longer, tops.

Now the construction on the B8 from Sav to MoBay, that maybe where Marco heard the 4-5 times longer, because of the heavy construction. This was my original post on what the condition of the road is like. Boniqua RIU did respond and said the traffic was backed up and avoid that route. This would be the B-8 Sav to MoBay. I would still like to hear from anyone that has been to MoBay on the B-8 or even anyone that has been to Border Jerk lately.