MINISTER PICKERSGILL TOURS PORT MARIA AND ITS ENVIRONS

Mr. Varden Downer of the NWA (left) speaks with Minister Pickergsill (centre) and Dr. Morais Guy, MP for the area.

Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill toured Port Maria and other sections of St. Mary on Friday, February 10, 2006.

The tour came on the heels of the groundbreaking ceremony for Segment Three of the North Coast Highway in St. Mary where Prime Minister P.J Patterson gave an undertaking that the roads in that area would be repaired as a precursor to the construction of that Segment of the Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (NCHIP).

Speaking on the tour, Minister Pickersgill said, “It is no secret that one of the major accomplishments of the Government is the rehabilitation and repair of roads all over the island…this is not accidental because roads make it possible to sustain production and improve productivity and efficiency.”

He noted that in accordance with conditions of the contract of the North Coast Highway, a survey of the initial repairs was done and that patching of the main road began in January 2006 with attention paid to the areas between Casa Maria and San Side. He said that the initial repair in the Port Maria area is substantially complete save for some potholes which have not been done due to the inclement weather that had been plaguing parts of St. Mary.

The full patching programme which spans Ocho Rios to Port Antonio, is scheduled to be completed by April 2006. The amount of repairs required is 13,600 sq. metres plus another estimated 13,000 sq. metres for designated detours. Designated detours while the work is in progress are White Hall to Chovey; Chovey to Aqualta Vale; Port Maria to Islington to Albany. This patching programme is being carried out at a cost of M$13.4. Persons are advised that if they do not have need to do business in the town, to make use of the detours as that will allow the work to proceed more efficiently. Contractor for the main road portion of the patching programme is E. Pihl and Son A.S (Denmark) while the National Works Agency is responsible for the work on the detours.

Turning to the work on the wider North Coast Highway Segment Three, the Minister said that the contract allowed for a mobilisation period of five months ending March 3, 2006. Construction of the Site Offices and Materials Laboratory at Llanrumney are well underway and are scheduled to be completed by the end of February 2006.

In commenting on the positives associated with the construction of the Highway, Minister Pickersgill asserts, “ When the work on the North Coast Highway is completed, it will open up the northeastern section of the country, thereby fostering long term economic diversification and growth in the tourism sector.” “ The improved roadway will make the parishes of St. Mary and Portland more accessible for farmers, tourists and for existing enterprises to expand and new business activities to develop”, he continued.

The Minister outlined other benefits to be derived from the construction of the Highway; these he stated are:
• Reduced vehicle operating costs
• Less time spent on cross island travel
• Decrease in incidences of flooding and related damage to the road surface and, hopefully
• A decline in the number of lives lost to motor vehicle accidents.

In preparation for the Highway, some 1000 parcels of land have been acquired and utilities have been relocated along the Segment. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2008.