Sections of Manzanilla/Mayaro Road collapse after flood

THE Manzanilla/Mayaro Road has partially collapsed, and drivers are being advised to avoid trying to use the road, which links Sangre Grande to Mayaro.

Constant flooding over the last few days and excessive runoff from the Nariva Swamp on Wednesday have washed away segments of the road.

Videos taken by people driving though the area showed almost an entire lane gone in one area, with a steady flow of water gushing across it.

Chairman of the Mayaro /Rio Claro Regional Corporation Raymond Cozier, in a telephone interview on Wednesday morning, advised drivers to stay away from the area stretching from the Mitan River to the Manzanilla Beach Resort.

He suggests they use alternative routes through Cunapo, Biche and Rio Claro to get to Mayaro.

“Information has been received that the Manzanilla Road has partially collapsed and is impassable to cars and vans, with water about three feet in some areas.

“I was with the team from the Met Office who was doing the survey. They indicated several parts (of the road) have collapsed on the edges. It may get worse, since the velocity of water is extremely strong.

“No vehicles should be traversing at this time.”

He shared with the Newsday a video sent to him, which was taken by a driver earlier on Wednesday morning, showing a part which caved in.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray also advised no vehicles should try to use this road.

In a Facebook post. Paray said several parts of the outer edges have collapsed because of the velocity of the runoff.

Cozier said the area really falls under the jurisdiction of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation.

“SGRC has advised that a team from the Ministry of Works and Transport is on the way to assess the situation.”

In a bulletin on Wednesday, the Met Service said the country remains under an adverse yellow-level weather alert and yellow riverine alert, as most major rivers are swollen.

This story will be updated.