Holness: Don’t let politics derail road programmes
Published:Tuesday | August 27, 2019 | 12:00 AMPaul Clarke/Gleaner Writer
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging fellow politicians not to allow political wrangling to derail the country’s infrastructure programme, given its overall value to national development.
He made the call during yesterday’s contract signing for the long-announced Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Programme, which will see US$384 million expended for construction, rehabilitation and other major roadworks between Harbour View in St Andrew and Port Antonio in Portland.
The works will be financed through a loan from the China Exim Bank.
Port Antonio bypass
Holness also floated the idea of a bypass road for Port Antonio, and has asked the National Works Agency (NWA) to begin the process of mapping a proposed route to take traffic away from the congested streets of the Portland capital.
“The intention of the Government is to have a very robust road infrastructure looping the island so one would be able to drive right around Jamaica on good thoroughfare and go across on good roads. That is the objective,” he said.
“Having said all of that, I am happy that Fenton [Ferguson, member of parliament for Eastern St Thomas] is here because we are in the season for silly things to be said and done, but I would not want the infrastructure programme that has been developed to be derailed by any political side,” Holness said.
“So you see me here signing this contract, but behind the scenes there is a great deal of work going on to prepare for the next round of what we call the Greater Infrastructural Development Programme that will see Jamaica again going through another phase of infrastructure development,” he said, adding that upgrade works are also planned from May Pen, Clarendon, to Williamsfield in Manchester.
Works under the programme are to be done by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) on a three-year contract in two parts. The eastern segment will constitute the roadworks from Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge in St Thomas, Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio, and the roadway from Morant Bay to Cedar Valley in St Thomas. The western segment will encompass the May Pen to Williamsfield section as part of the P.J. Patterson Highway.
The Gleaner understands that work should begin by October.
Permanent Secretary Audrey Sewell said that the eastern section of the programme is to be project-managed by the NWA and accounts for 138.3 kilometres of roadway.
The Harbour View to Port Antonio segment of the project accounts for US$195 million of works, and the May Pen to Williamsfield component will account for US$189 million.
Sewell explained that of the total value of the works, CHEC will account for US$110 million, while the component to be carried out by local contractors is costed at US$74 million.
CHEC’s newly appointed Country Manager Bi Dangran said that his company is honoured to be selected to lead the project.
“We are excited for these projects that will not only improve lives, but will also make it more efficient for the people of the region and that it will also be free from flooding,” he said.