Dear Editor,
The people of Westmoreland are demanding the fixing of the roads which seem to always be in a poor condition. Too many times we see the meagre patchwork being done to fix potholes and cracks in the road, only to gradually witness the roads returning to their usual poor state.
The approach of the politicians seem to be to send workmen out to simply patch the road in the exact same manner in which it was inadequately performed the last time. The politicians fail to realise that constantly approaching a problem with the same inadequate solution will lead to the same old results of a temporary redress which will eventually give way.
As a progressive young politician and a resident of Westmoreland, I have devised a solution to the road problem that has been plaguing Westmoreland and Jamaica for the longest of time.
What I suggest is that we develop a unique mixture of asphalt and other ingredients which can be both strong enough to withstand cars while being absorbent enough to withstand rain. The mixture must be intricately developed through rigorous scientific testing on different combinations of ingredients and materials in order to discover the perfect solution.
The Government should develop a small scientific and advisory committee made up of the relevant scientific and technical experts, along with support from actual road repair workers, who may be able to give very valuable inputs into the developmental process. The committee needs an adequate budget and must be well-staffed to accomplish this mission.
The aim is to combine the perfect mixture of pavement mix that will uniformly spread pressure throughout rather than to concentrate pressure at certain points which lead to cracks and eventual potholes. The mixture must also possess characteristics of shock-absorbency to withstand the constant tiny hammering of the raindrops and the wear and tear effects the water may cause when it settles on the pavement. Different percentages of asphalt, bitumen, sand, gravel, stone, and possibly clay, should be combined and tested under controlled circumstances to arrive at the right formula for pavement mix, which we may call Supreme Mix.
This development will save Jamaica billions in the long run, and we may export this innovation to other developing countries such as our Cuban allies.
Toraino Beckford
Savanna-la-Mar Westmorelad
torainobeckford@gmail.com
The people of Westmoreland are demanding the fixing of the roads which seem to always be in a poor condition. Too many times we see the meagre patchwork being done to fix potholes and cracks in the road, only to gradually witness the roads returning to their usual poor state.
The approach of the politicians seem to be to send workmen out to simply patch the road in the exact same manner in which it was inadequately performed the last time. The politicians fail to realise that constantly approaching a problem with the same inadequate solution will lead to the same old results of a temporary redress which will eventually give way.
As a progressive young politician and a resident of Westmoreland, I have devised a solution to the road problem that has been plaguing Westmoreland and Jamaica for the longest of time.
What I suggest is that we develop a unique mixture of asphalt and other ingredients which can be both strong enough to withstand cars while being absorbent enough to withstand rain. The mixture must be intricately developed through rigorous scientific testing on different combinations of ingredients and materials in order to discover the perfect solution.
The Government should develop a small scientific and advisory committee made up of the relevant scientific and technical experts, along with support from actual road repair workers, who may be able to give very valuable inputs into the developmental process. The committee needs an adequate budget and must be well-staffed to accomplish this mission.
The aim is to combine the perfect mixture of pavement mix that will uniformly spread pressure throughout rather than to concentrate pressure at certain points which lead to cracks and eventual potholes. The mixture must also possess characteristics of shock-absorbency to withstand the constant tiny hammering of the raindrops and the wear and tear effects the water may cause when it settles on the pavement. Different percentages of asphalt, bitumen, sand, gravel, stone, and possibly clay, should be combined and tested under controlled circumstances to arrive at the right formula for pavement mix, which we may call Supreme Mix.
This development will save Jamaica billions in the long run, and we may export this innovation to other developing countries such as our Cuban allies.
Toraino Beckford
Savanna-la-Mar Westmorelad
torainobeckford@gmail.com