Caribbean News

Government to spend more than $600 Million on Road and Infrastructure Project for St. Mary

Published

7 years ago

September 19, 2017

#Jamaica, September 19, 2017 – Kingston – The Government has signed a contract with Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Limited for the first package of improvement works to be undertaken on 4.8 kilometres of main road from Agualta Vale to Broadgate in St. Mary. The contract, which is valued at more than $597 million, is expected to begin in October and last for 14 months.

The project, which is being implemented by the National Works Agency (NWA) forms part of plans to improve an overall 18.4 kilometres of main roadway from Tom’s River to Agualta Vale. The second phase, which involves 13.6 kilometres of main road from Broadgate to Tom’s River, will be undertaken over fiscal years.

Works to be carried out on the Agualta Vale to Broadgate main road include construction of shoulders, provision of sidewalks, relocation of utilities, installation of road furniture and road traffic control devices and the construction of surface and subsurface drains. Construction of bridges and pavement upgrading are also to be carried out on the 28 parcels of lands that were acquired by the Government.

Addressing the contract signing ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister on September 15, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the need to have the roadway repaired has long been expressed, having been proposed years ago. He said the project is being financed from the Capital ‘A’ budget, which is designated for Government of Jamaica-funded projects.

The Prime Minister informed that the works will improve road safety and maneuverability by removing some of the deep curves in the roadway.

“It will (also) increase mobility and reduce both travel time and transportation costs. The project will also resolve the drainage issues in the area while providing greater connectivity between the northern and southern highways of the country,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the project will have a positive effect on the long-term economic benefits on neighboring towns and communities, through the creation of employment directly related to the works.

“At the end of the project, I expect the people of St. Mary and indeed Portland to say that their tax dollars were well spent,” he noted.

Mr. Holness informed that the contract-signing is a tangible demonstration of the government’s commitment to using infrastructural works to bring improvements to the lives of the people. He indicated that the improvement works is but a “portion of the Government’s financial commitments to the parish of St. Mary”.

Since April 2017, approximately one billion dollars has been spent on infrastructural works in St. Mary. They include river training, road patching, drainage improvements and the general rehabilitation of roads and bridges.

Meanwhile, State Minister in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington, said the overall purpose of the project is to “reduce the fear and trepidation associated with travelling through the junction because of ravines and hair-pin curves”.

“We intend to make the corridor far more reliable and intend to reduce travel times. These are all positives, which will redound to the benefit of not only those who live in St. Mary and Portland but to the entire country,” he said.

Consultancy firm, Stanley Consultants will assist with supervision on the project, and signed a contract with the Government valued at $29.4 million for this undertaking.

Release: JIS

Caribbean News

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS EXPECTED TO ASSIST GOV’T PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.

This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.

“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.

He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).

Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.

“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.

“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.

Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.

Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.

The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.

NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.

CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON

Caribbean News

Haiti- ECHO humanitarian efforts

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff writer

#Haiti#Crisis#HumanitarianEfforts#ECHO, April 23rd, 2024 – Due to the worsening Humanitarian crisis in Haiti with an increase in death toll and injured people, The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), launched an emergency airlift of 5 flights carrying essentials which include up to 62 tons of medicine as well as emergency shelter equipment, and water and sanitation items. These were brought to Cap Haitien according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on April 19, as the international Airport in Port au prince remains closed following the gang attack last month.

Caribbean News

Dominica repeals laws criminalizing gay sex

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Dominica#LGBTQIA, April 24, 2034- Dominica has decided to remove colonial era laws that criminalized gay sex, joining Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

This comes almost five years after a man of the queer community, whose identity was withheld for his safety, spoke out against Dominica’s laws in 2019, saying they violated his rights.