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Litchfield residents get paved road for Christmas

Published:Monday | December 17, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Contributed
From left: Parris Lyew-Ayee, chairman of Carib Cement; Councillor Leroy Mitchell of the Walderston division of the Manchester Municipal Council; Audley Shaw, member of parliament, and Peter Donkersloot, general manager of Carib Cement, unveil the sign marking the opening of the 530 metres of concrete road donated by Carib Cement to Litchfield, Manchester.

Residents of Litchfield, Manchester, have received a newly rehabilitated road courtesy of the Caribbean Cement Company Limited.

According to Caribbean Cement, the 530 metres of concrete road addresses several social and economic development goals for the district, including better access for farmers to take their goods to market, an easier commute for students to school, and shorter distances for residents to other parts of the parish. The previous road had passed its design life and was in urgent need of repair.

The project provided men and women from the community with valuable work experience. More than 60 persons have been trained in the proper techniques of preparing and laying concrete and in building a concrete road. Seventy-five persons as well as micro businesses in the area derived direct and indirect income-earning opportunities throughout the project, which was completed in five weeks.

Peter Donkersloot, general manager of Carib Cement, said that an outstanding feature of the project was the community spirit.

"Carib Cement is really proud to have partnered with a community that has such a great ability to organise and cooperate. You rallied around each other and with Carib Cement to finish this job in good time. Now, we hand it over to you to take care of the roadway, to respect the road code, to promote the safety of all the users. Walk, ride, drive, cycle with care," Donkersloot said.

Community resident Collin Walters said the new road was a dream come true: "This is our road, and we are very excited about it, but I am imploring drivers to please be very, very, careful. Parents, please tell the children to be aware when they are walking, playing, riding bicycles to be very aware and very careful."

Completed at a cost of $10.8 million, the development initiative is part of Carib Cement's Corporate Responsibi-lity Programme, which, since 2016, has invested $265 million in projects, scholarships, and training and has reached more than 230,000 Jamaicans.