The Flat Bridge is a
beam bridge across the
Rio Cobre
The Rio Cobre is a river of Jamaica. Its source is unclear, the headwaters being a writhing of unnamed, seasonally dry tributaries. The highest of these rise just above the contour. From here it flows to meet the Caribbean Sea in the north west c ...
on the
A1 road connecting the Jamaican capital
Kingston, with the north coast tourist areas of
Dunn's River and
Ocho Rios
Ocho Rios (Spanish for "Eight Rivers") is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica, and is more widely referred to as ''Ochi'' by locals. Beginning as a sleepy fishing village, Ocho Rios has seen explosive growth in the ...
. It is one of the oldest bridges in Jamaica.
History
While it cannot be positively ascertained when this bridge was built, it was definitely constructed after 1724. Edward Long describes it in his History of Jamaica printed in 1774:
When the bridge was being constructed, the sixteen plantations in the
Bog Walk
Bog Walk is a town in the parish of Saint Catherine, Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and ...
area were obliged to send one enslaved African in every fifty to work on the River Road, sometimes called Sixteen Mile Walk. Gravel, marl, lime, sand and stone had to be dug. Slaves often lost their lives as they performed dangerous tasks in the Gorge. Contracts for timber and for masons to work on the bridge were authorized at vestry meetings.
Between 1881 and 1915, the floor of the bridge was washed away and later re-floored with iron girders and buckle plates taken from the original flooring of the May Pen bridge.
[“Historic Structures – Flat Bridge” in Jamaica Journal Vol. 16, No. 4, 1983] Today, the bridge of three spans is supported by two piers and two abutments. In the 1930s it had metal handrails and later wooden ones, but these were devoured by the river at different times. Hemispheres of stone are now the only protection on the bridge itself.
Traffic
Flat Bridge is a part of the busy A1 road and carries a single lane so traffic is managed by traffic lights.
The bridge is often flooded after heavy rains. In such times, motorists are advised to take alternative routes through Barry and
Sligoville
Sligoville (formerly known as Highgate) is a small community approximately 10 miles from Spanish Town in the parish of St. Catherine on the island of Jamaica.
History
On 10 July 1835, Reverend James Phillippo, an English Baptist minister and ...
.
References
External links
Aerial viewBridge information as published by Jamaican National Heritage TrustAnother article about this bridge
{{National Heritage Sites in Jamaica
Bridges completed in 1770
Bridges in Jamaica
Buildings and structures in Saint Catherine Parish
Beam bridges
Stone bridges
Road bridges
1770 establishments in the British Empire