Work starts on the Long Hill Bypass in St James
Published:Tuesday | October 22, 2024 | 12:07 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Work commenced on Saturday on the much-needed Long Hill Bypass in St James as was promised by Stephen Edwards, the managing director at the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), last week.
According to Edwards, the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project is about 50 per cent completed, and with that being the case, NROCC was now at a stage where it could move on to the Long Hill Bypass, starting with the Montpelier leg of the project.
“The Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project is approximately 50 per cent complete. We are at the stage where we are ready to start the works on the Long Hill Bypass,” Edwards told The Gleaner last week. “I am happy to inform the community and the wider public that the works will start this Saturday in the Montpelier area of the project.”
The Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project, of which the Long Hill Bypass is a four-lane subproject, is being developed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) with funding from the Jamaican Government. The Long Hill project is about 11 kilometres long.
During a consultation meeting at the Mt Carey Baptist Church, representatives from NROCC and CHEC showed residents of the community, which will be impacted by the project, a video showing the route of the Long Hill Bypass and fielded questions from them about the the implementation of the project.
According to Edwards, motorists won’t have to pay tolls on the Long Hill Bypass until it is fully operational. However, two toll booths will be constructed at strategic points along the route – in the Montpelier and Bogue Village areas.
ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO PROJECT
When quizzed, the NROCC official said that initially, they wanted to develop a two-lane highway for the Long Hill Bypass and then, in the future, expand into four lanes.
“Now, we have adjusted the project to bring that forward. So we will be producing a four-lane highway for the Long Hill Bypass,” said Edwards. “There are no plans to toll the Long Hill Bypass at this time. It is important to note that the Long Hill Bypass is the first segment of the highway that will take us towards the south coast.”
Edwards indicated that there is a national long-term plan to connect the entire island with toll roads and highway networks that will open up lands for housing and other development and make the connectivity seamless and safe.
Homer Davis, minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister Western, who has responsibility for government projects, said this bypass would not only enhance connectivity, but also bolster economic growth by providing more efficient travel routes.
“The citizens of York Bush, Mahogany, and Mt Carey, Montpelier, will be impacted, but they will also benefit from this development,” said Davis. “They will see the value of their properties [go up], and it will give them easier access to getting from Montego Bay to their place of abode.”
Davis also stated that apart from the Long Hill Bypass, more than 5,000 residents in Marl Road, Montpelier, Mount Carey, York Bush, Carey Village, Anchovy, Lawson, and Roehampton will see an improvement in their water supply through the Shettlewood to Montpelier to Anchovy water-supply system.
He said work was now at an advanced stage in the project, which is being carried out at a cost of $650 million. Pipes are currently being laid from Shettlewood, in Hanover, through Montpelier, and into Anchovy. It is slated to be completed in 12 months.