Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project
Director: Anthony Gibson
E- mail: nchip@cwj.com

The objective of the Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project is to improve the geometric and safety features 270km of main road along the Northern Coastal Highway from Negril in the west, to Port Antonio in the east. Funding for the project will by provided by the inter American Development Bank (IDB); the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan (OECF); the European Union (EU)and the Government of Jamaica.

The project will be executed in three segments,

Segment 1 - Negril to Montego Bay (75km)
Segment 2 - Montego Bay to Ocho Rios (95km)
Segment 3 - Ocho Rios to Fair Prospect in Portland (119km)

Works on this project includes,
· Overlay/reconstruction of the existing pavement, including shoulders and drainage facilities.
· Local improvements such as road widening.
· Realignments and curves flattening to improve sight distances, hence travel safety.
· Repairs, rehabilitation and replacement of existing bridges and other road structures.
· Replacement and upgrading of traffic and informational signs and safety elements.
· Re-grading and improving local and secondary intersections geometry.
· Improved pavement striping including edge lines and raised reflectorised centreline pavement markers.
· Environmental protection works and mitigation measures.

Other critical elements of the Project are acquisition of the parcels of lands required for construction, or portions thereof of involuntary resettlement of Project Affected Persons and the relocation of Utilities plant, the cost for which will be mainly borne by the Government of Jamaica.

*****Segment One Opened*****

The first segment of the Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project was officially opened on Friday September 6, 2002.

Works on this segment began in May 1997. BOSUNG Engineering of Korea started the works on this segment and, the Montego Bay Drainage and Flood Control sub-project, but experienced financial difficulties and suspended their activities in April of 2000. Further to this a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Government of Jamaica and BOSUNG Engineering. According to the terms of the MOU, BOSUNG Engineering remained the main contractor on record however, the company would be assisted by a number of sub-contractors. Additionally, segment 1 (Negril to Montego Bay) was divided into 3 discrete sections,

Section 1 Negril to Davis Cove (26.6km)
Section 2 Davis Cove to Mosquito Cove (15.7km)
Section 3 Mosquito Cove to Bogue (28.9km)

Works for each three sections were packaged based on the types of works to be preformed;
Earthworks, Base & Sub-Base, Box Culverts, Bridges, Surface Dressing, Asphalting, Guardrails & Road Furniture, and based on tenders from pre-qualified contractors, Cabinet approved the award of 18 sub-contracts in August 2000. (6 for each section.)

Contracts for these works were awarded as follows:
Section 1: Negril to Davis Cove (26.6km)

Contract                                     Contractor

Earthworks                                  ASHTROM Group
Base & Sub-Base                          Mogul Transport
Box Culverts                                West Indies Home Contractors
Bridges                                        ASHTROM group
Surface Dressing                           Lagan Holdings
Asphalting                                   Surrey Paving & Aggregate

Section 2: Davis Cove to Mosquito Cove (21.3km)
Contracts for works on this section were awarded as follows:

Contract                                     Contractor

Earthworks                                 M &M Construction
Base & Sub-Base                         West Indies Home Contractors
Box Culverts                               Tank-Weld Ltd
Bridges                                       ASHTROM group
Surface Dressing                           Lagan Holdings
Asphalting                                   Lagan Holdings

Section 3: Mosquito Cove to Bogue (23.3kmn)

Contract                                      Contractor

Earthworks                                  National Works Agency
Base & Sub-Base                          National Works Agency
Box Culverts                               Tank-Weld Ltd
Bridges                                       ASHTROM group
Surface Dressing                           Lagan Holdings
Asphalting                                   Surrey Paving & Aggregate

Segment one of the Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project was officially opened on September 6, 2002.