Residents try to make their way down the Palisadoes main road - which leads to the Norman Manley International Airport - covered by sand during the passage of hurricane Dean, on Sunday. The airport was reopened to emergency flights yesterday. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

OWING to extensive damage to the Palisadoes main road, in Kingston, caused by the onslaught of Hurricane Dean, only one lane of the highway leading to the Norman Manley International Airport was cleared up to press time last night.

Michelle Edwards, senior director of mitigation, planning and research at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management told The Gleaner yesterday that assessment teams were working assiduously to clear the remaining roadway of debris by theday's end.

The airport was reopened to emergency flights late yesterday. Full operations should resume sometime today.

The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay was, however, open with flights scheduled to depart the Second City on a limited basis.

Flights departing the island for Atlanta, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale and Baltimore, in the United States, were scheduled to leave the airport last night.