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TEF to undertake $116m upgrade of resort roads

Published:Saturday | December 12, 2020 | 12:05 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
 Edmund Bartlett
Edmund Bartlett

WESTERN BUREAU:

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says visitors and locals will have a much safer road network to traverse in some of the key resort areas across the island, thanks to the major $116-million road-improvement work that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) unveiled on Wednesday.

According to Bartlett, the project, which will see the TEF in partnership with the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and the National Works Agency, will see the affixing of road markings and the installation of raised pavement markers, referred to as ‘cat eyes’, as part of the quest to improve road infrastructure and reduce accidents.

The project, which is designed to make the roads safer while producing seamless travel, will span from Oracabessa in St Mary to Spot Valley in St James.“Montego Bay and other rapidly growing resort areas such as Falmouth, Ocho Rios, and Portland cannot fully provide the experience required without the supportive infrastructure and services that make these experiences safe and seamless,” said Bartlett. “Our roadways and road network make up part of this supportive infrastructure, and are critical to ensure that our visitors and locals alike can travel from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ with less hassle and accidents.”

Bartlett was speaking at the unveiling of the TEF’s sponsored road safety improvement project at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, where he pointed out that road marking and raised pavements are just as critical to reducing road accidents as proper lighting and visibility for motorists and pedestrians.“The TEF investment of $116 million in constructing these road markings and establishing raised pavements makers from St Mary to Montego Bay will make a significant difference in the user experience, and ultimately make it safer for everyone who traverses these roadways,” Bartlett reiterated. According to Bartlett, the road safety improvement project is another step in the right direction, in destination assurance and honouring the commitments made when marketing Jamaica overseas.“This is what enhancing the tourism product is all about. This is the assurance that our destination has put in place the necessary infrastructure to keep our visitors and locals safe. It is the value-added that boosts the attractiveness of destination Jamaica,” stated Bartlett. “This project serves as a testament to our commitment to the development of our resort areas while ensuring that a delicate environmental balance is maintained.”

LIFE-SAVING INVESTMENT

Colin Gager, mayor of Falmouth, who also spoke at the function, welcomed the infrastructural development of the road, hailing it as an investment that will help to save lives by reducing the number of road accidents, which often leads to fatalities on the roadway between Falmouth and Montego Bay. “One of the unfortunate realities is that it is a corridor prone to accidents. I am happy to witness this launch, which, after the completion of the project, will help to mitigate against the dreadful accidents that are now taking place,” said Gager.Gager further noted that the northern coastal highway between Falmouth and Montego Bay is a heavily trafficked route by both locals and tourists, who traverse this corridor, for numerous reasons to include work, commerce, and leisure.“I know that this road safety improvement project is a great sigh of relief for many of us who use this leg of the highway and are exposed to the risks. Therefore, I am delighted to be part of this launch and now seize the opportunity to encourage all road users to practise safe habits at all times, because, in doing so, you may save your very own life,” added Gager.

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