The most dangerous Bridge in Jamaica? - Flat Bridge

Flat Bridge is the most revered bridge in Jamaica and for good reasons, as many lives have been lost at this location. Some persons have purposely driven off it, in an attempt to commit suicide, while residents have told kareemsquest.com ‘a mystical power came over many drivers and pulled them into the water’. For this reason we have also listed, further in the article, the 7 most famous incidents that have occurred at Flat Bridge.

Now, folk stories are abundant about the location, and, the resident divers, who have saved many lives, give their take on the mystery of Flat bridge, in the video below.

KareemsQuest.com asked them about many things including their most challenging rescues and do they think a mythical creature lives in the Rio Cobre river.

The 7 most famous incidents that occurred at Flat Bridge

June 4, 2021 – Female drives SUV off Flat bridge into river. Death theorised as a suicide.
July 16, 2016 – Suzuki Vitara plunges into Rio Cobre killing 6 – Church group drowns in river leaving only one survivor.
October 5, 2012 – Relatives remember drowned men – three men die after a trailer plunged into the river.
May 29, 2002 – Van plunges into Rio Cobre at about 2:30 p.m., man missing.
May 14, 2001 – Cop and companion perish in freak accident.
November 30, 1998 – Three persons died in a motor vehicle accident in the Bog Walk Gorge, St. Catherine.
June 29, 1996 – Seven die at Flat Bridge after Minibus plunges into Rio Cobre.

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On July 22, 2016, Calvin Allen, head of the Police Traffic Division, stated, “The Flat Bridge in itself is quite OK. Persons just need to negotiate the area using their skill and experience from the perspective of how they were taught to drive to negotiate the Flat Bridge.”

Some of these sources were found on the Jamaica Gleaner

The history of flat bridge

It’s hard to tell the exact date when the bridge was built, however it is presumed that the construction took place after 1724. KareemsQuest.com finds the architecture of the bridge both profound and simple, as it mainly consists of planks, two piers and two buttresses. It is this basic framework that has survived countless hurricanes and has now existed over three centuries.

Based on information that kareemsquest.com found on Jamaica National Heritage Trust website, ‘When this bridge was being constructed, the sixteen plantations in the Bog Walk area were obliged to send one slave, in every fifty, to work on the River Road, sometimes called Sixteen Mile Walk.’

Located in the Bog Walk Gorge, this was no easy feat, especially when it rained and the slaves would have to dig for gravel, marl, lime, sand and stone. In the early 20th century, kareemsquest.com found out that rails were placed on the bridge, for an extra layer of safety, however these were quickly destroyed by the Rio Cobre River.

Once there is heavy rain Kareemsquest.com was told that the water can rise tens of feet above sea level, in the Gorge. As such, there are gates at the entrance and exit point of the Gorge and motorists are encouraged not to cross the bridge if it is raining.

There have been some minor upgrades over the years to add reinforcement, where needed, to ensure the bridge of three spans, two piers and two abutments is well supported.