Construction on South Coast Highway to begin soon – Robertson

Member of Parliament for Western St Thomas James Robertson has given the assurance that the actual construction of the long-promised Morant Bay to Cedar Valley leg of the South Coast Highway Improvement Project will begin in June.

According to him, the specific start date will be announced by the Office of the Prime Minister in short order.

“Fourteen million US dollars will be spent from the roundabout at Morant Bay to the highest town going to the Blue Mountain hills, Cedar Valley, and that will start next month. So within the two weeks, we’ll be going to that,” he said.

Touching on the scope of the work, Robertson revealed that residents living between Morant Bay and Cedar Valley can expect a completely reconstructed roadway as opposed to a repair of the existing thoroughfare.

“We’re talking about drainage, river training, walls and retaining walls, and a new base structure. It’s a complete new road. I can’t speak in terms of widening, but I can speak to a new base, drainage, and protection system,” he shared.

The member of parliament was speaking on Wednesday at the official handover ceremony of a new kitchen and canteen at the Middleton Primary School, located in the Morant Bay to Cedar Valley area.

The project was undertaken as part of the government of Japan’s Grass-Roots and Human Security Project to the tune of more than US$82,000.

IN GREAT NEED

In his address, Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica Hiromasa Yamazaki revealed that the project was endorsed after the realisation of the challenges being encountered by Middleton Primary, which had been in great need of a cafeteria, kitchen and dining area.

“No longer will staff and students have to purchase cooked lunches and have them transported from a very far neighbouring school. From today onwards, this building can be used as a daily cafeteria during school and [for] other events and community functions for up to 120 persons,” he said.

Also bringing greetings was acting Education Minister Karl Samuda, who commended the Japanese government for its contribution not only to Middleton Primary but to the fields of education and nutrition over the years.

He continued, “No matter how wonderful a structure you have, no matter how you provide the equipment within the school, if the child isn’t properly nourished, they can’t learn, and too often, we go to large primary schools and you’re told that by 10 a.m., some of the children are falling asleep, especially those from the less fortunate communities where there is an inadequacy of nutrition, and so it is commendable that the Japanese government has partnered with us and the National Education Trust in making available to this school the development of this canteen.”