MANY PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE ROAD NETWORK

By: ALPHEA SAUNDERS

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry (left) listens as Senior Inspector, Motor Vehicles, Island Traffic Authority, Fidel McFarlane (right), explains the specifications of the custom-made central processing unit (CPU), which will be used to operate portable weigh scales. Looking on is Chief Motor Vehicle Inspector, Island Traffic Authority, Clive McDonald.

The Ministry of Transport and Works placed major emphasis on its Works portfolio throughout the year, through a slew of rehabilitative and new projects, to improve the country’s road network.

In the 2009/10 budget, some $479 million was set aside for the Ministry’s rehabilitation projects. Of this, the Road Rehabilitation Project (II) received $300 million for the upgrading of selected roads in Clarendon, Manchester and Westmoreland. The objective of the project was to rehabilitate 97 kilometres of roads from Smithfield Bridge to Scotts Cove in Westmoreland; Sour Sop Turn to Danks, Clarendon; Danks to Mears Bridge (Trout Hall), Clarendon; Grantham to Walderston, Manchester; Williamsfield to Greenvale, Mandeville By-Pass; and Highgate Hall to Stettin, Manchester.

Allocations were also made to upgrade 47 kilometres of road from Ferris Cross to Mackfield in Westmoreland; Alexandria to Brown's Town in St. Ann; Tom's River to Broadgate in St. Mary; and Broadgate to Agualta Vale.

Community Road Patching Programme

In August, Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry, launched a major road patching programme in the Corporate Area and some rural parishes. The programme, geared at community roads long in need of repairs, was rolled out by the National Works Agency (NWA), beginning with the Havendale community in St. Andrew, and involved initial expenditure of $60 million.

Mr. Henry said at the time that the programme would be intensified with funding anticipated from the special consumption tax on fuel sales.

 In April, the Government instituted the  $8.75 cess on the price per litre of gasoline, with 20 per cent of the money to go to the Road Maintenance Fund (RMF) to undertake road repair. 

"We are starting at that level with mostly the community and Parish Council roads, including housing scheme roads, which have long been in need of repairs, but were caught up in the competing claims of where responsibility for the repairs lie," Mr. Henry said.

He added that with the Government now clearly on a path to formally establishing a single road authority, nationally, this focus on community roads was "very timely and definitely a signal of where we are going in terms of the responsibility factor."

By the end of August, some $430 million was disbursed from the Special Consumption tax on fuel, to the Ministry of Transport and Works, for the Road Rehabilitation Fund.

Roads and Bridges

The new Waterloo Road Bridge, in St. Andrew, was officially opened on September 20, marking the first phase of the construction of a four-lane bridge at the site. The bridge is now open to two-way traffic with the other two lanes slated for completion by the end of the year. The Waterloo Bridge is one of 10 being constructed under the Canadian R.A. Murray Bridge Programme.

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry (2ND right), cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Waterloo Road Bridge in St. Andrew, on September 20. To the Minister's right is Mr. Brian Joosse, of the construction firm, R.A. Murray International Limited, which built the bridge, and to his left is Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency, Mr. Patrick Wong. This is the first phase of the construction of a four-lane bridge at the site.

The bridges which were completed under Phase II of the US$44.2 million programme are: the Queen’s River Bridge, Hanover; the Black River Bridge, St. Elizabeth;  Johnson River Bridge, St. Thomas; Milk River, and Angel's River Bridges, Clarendon; Sevens River Bridge, St. James; Gordon Town River Bridge, St. Andrew; and Worthy Park Bridge, St. Catherine.

Phase III will entail ongoing works on the Fairfield Bridge, St. James and Springfield Bridge, Clarendon, while preliminary design works are being developed for the Steer Town Bridge, St. Ann; Horse Savannah Bridge, St. Thomas; and Alligator Church Bridge, Portland.

Mr. Henry informed of plans to replace a further nine bridges over the next five years. These are located at: Guanaboa Vale, Vanity Fair and Stubbs, St. Catherine; Sandy Gully/Cassia Park and Queensborough, St. Andrew; Leith Hall, St. Thomas; Maggart, St. Mary; and Kupius, Clarendon. Designs for the project, valued US$3.8 million, are currently being developed.

Meanwhile, the community of Bourbon in Portland, received a new bridge in October. The bridge was constructed by the NWA at a cost of $9.8 million.

In September, the NWA also conducted road repairs in sections of the parish.   The programme involved the rehabilitation of 1.3 kilometres of roadway between Port Antonio and Hectors River, and 8,500 square metres of sheet patching to other sections of the same corridor. The repairs were in continuation of the improvements resulting from the completion of segment three of the Northern Coastal Highway.

Major Works Contracts

On February 10, Minister Henry signed eight contracts valued at $501.2 million for the repair of roads, gullies and drains across the island.

Of the amount, $123.3 million was allocated for rehabilitation and overlay works on 14.6 kilometres of roadway from Swansea Jerk Shop, through Colgate to Orange Hill, part of Fern Gully, in St. Ann.

Minister Henry informed that this project is the first of a three- part project - the Fern Gully Restoration and Rehabilitation Programme - which would restore the area, which was severely damaged by flood rains last year.

For Kingston and St. Andrew, $23.7 million was allocated to fix the U-Drain at Ardenne High School, while $29.3 million went toward fixing Wickham Road.

The Minister also pointed out that a reinforced concrete wall and gully invert would be constructed at Shortwood Drive, in St. Andrew, as part of the emergency repairs to the Gully Network Tropical Storm Gustav Programme.

Meanwhile, $141 million was awarded to Pavement and Structures Limited, to effect repairs to the Gutters to Freetown main road in St. Catherine.

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry (right), signs contracts for the repair of roads damaged by Tropical Storm Gustav and for the rehabilitation of gullies. Looking on (from left) are: Project Manager at Alcar Construction and Haulage Ltd, Mr. Glendon Watson and Member of Parliament (MP) for South East St. Ann, Miss Lisa Hanna.

A $99.8 million contract was also signed by Dwight's Construction Limited, to effect repairs to the Guys Hill to Windsor Castle, Gayle to Dressikie/Union Hill, Windsor Castle to Wood Park main roads, Barclays Town Road, Bagnal Road and the Heartlands culvert and road in St. Mary.

Some $9.9 million went to river training works by Morris Hill Limited, at Laughlands, Little River, in St. Ann, as part of the Northern Coastal Highway Improvement Project, while $29.8 million went towards repairing the Walderston to Contrivance road in Manchester.

Meanwhile seven contracts for the repair of roads damaged by Tropical Storm Gustav, and for the rehabilitation of gullies, in sections of the island, were signed on January 27 by the Works Minister.

The $207 million contracts included works in St. Ann, Clarendon, and the Corporate Area. These included: the construction of a box culvert along Milford Road in Ocho Rios, at a cost of $18.8 million; construction of a box culvert at Exchange valued at $29.7 million; and rehabilitation work on Orange Park Road in the amount of $29.7 million, all in St. Ann.

For the Corporate Area, work was done on a reinforced concrete wall and gully in the New Haven/Shakespeare Avenue/Bunyan Crescent Gully area at a cost of $77.6 million; Perkins Boulevard to Washington Boulevard, $15.1 million; and on Grants Pen Road, for $12.4 million.

In April, as part of the on-going post-Tropical Storm Gustav emergency repairs to the public drainage and gully system, contracts of $46 million and 68.9 million were signed to undertake two infrastructural projects in Kingston.

The works involved construction work on Collie Smith Gully, in the vicinity of Marcus Garvey Drive, and Barnes Gully that runs along South Camp Road. The work on Collie Smith Gully included construction of a reinforced retaining wall and gully invert.   

On October 9, a contract for approximately $200 million was signed by Minister  Henry, for works in the Comfort Castle area of East Portland.

Mr. Henry explained that the scope of work would include the construction of gabion retaining structure, with over 200 baskets, amounting to 400 square metres, along with the reinstatement of the pavement in the location of the breakaway, at a cost of $13.6 million.

At a press briefing in September, Mr. Henry had announced that the Government planned to spend over $600 million repairing the road network in the ill-fated Rio Grande Valley in Portland, where 14 persons died when a truck taking them to market overturned on December 19 2008.

Washington Boulevard

Also on October 9, Minister Henry signed a $1.176 billion contract for the Washington Boulevard Improvement Project.

A total of 2.75 kilometres of the roadway along Washington Boulevard and Dunrobin Avenue, in Kingston, will be widened from two lanes to six lanes. Work has commenced, and will be completed within 16 months. The project is being funded by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry, signs the contract for the Washington Boulevard Improvement Project. To his left is Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency, Mr. Patrick Wong, and to his right is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Alwyn Hales.

Addressing the signing ceremony at the Ministry, Mr. Henry informed that the Washington Boulevard Improvement Project is expected to improve traffic volume capacity, thus reducing traffic congestion along the corridor; improve traffic safety; reduce travel time and overall road transportation/vehicle operating cost; and assist the Government with the establishment of a vehicle weight enforcement programme.

Ministry Acquires Portable Weigh Scales

As the Government continues to contain damage to the island’s road networks, caused by overloaded vehicles, the Ministry acquired two portable vehicle weigh scales in September.

Cabinet approved $100 million in October to install the first scale at Harbour View in St. Andrew.

The contract for the construction of the scale facility was awarded to Tankweld Construction Company. Harbour View was selected as an urgent location as the entry point of trucks transporting marl, aggregate and shale from quarries and mining operations along the Pamphret Main Road in St Thomas to the Corporate Area.

In March, the Ministry signed a US$500 million contract with Advance Scales and Equipment Limited for the supply and installation of the four weigh scales. Other scales are to be sited in the vicinity of the Ferry Police Station, St. Catherine; Coral Spring, Trelawny; and Agualta Vale, St. Mary.

According to Minister Henry, “it is envisioned that the placement of scales at these strategic locations on the island’s road network will help in averting the overloading of trucks, and help to reduce the cost to maintain the integrity of the road infrastructure in general.”

Western Jamaica

The NWA embarked on a $30.8 million patching programme, and a $5.1 million road and drainage improvement project in Western Jamaica during the year.  Some 132 kilometres of roadway as well as drains were cleaned in the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, and Hanover.

In addition, other improvement works, valued at approximately $38.7 million were undertaken by the NWA on roads across Hanover and Westmoreland.

Minister of Transport and Works, Hon. Michael Henry (fourth left), assisted by Member of Parliament for North Trelawny, Dr. Patrick Harris (3rd left), cuts the ribbon to declare the $9 million Falmouth Fisherman's Village officially open. Also participating in the event are (from left): Custos of Trelawny, Hon. Royland Barrett; President and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Mr. Noel Hylton; Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager; President of the Falmouth Fisherman's Association, Mr. Fritz Christie; and Member of Parliament for South Trelawny, Mrs. Marissa Dalrymple-Philbert.

The work carried out in Westmoreland involved the implementation of a major retaining wall programme, benefitting the communities of Strawberry, Content, Darliston and Seaford Town. In Hanover road rehabilitation and drainage improvement projects were carried out, along with the cleaning of drains, bushing of verges and rehabilitation of critical road sections in that parish.

New Traffic Lights

A $48 million traffic management system was commissioned into service in Montego Bay, St. James, on November 7. Financed by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the 22-light system is designed to drastically reduce the level of traffic congestion affecting the city.

It includes an incident management system, manned by personnel at the Montego Bay police station, in the Montego Freeport area. The system consists of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras located at key intersections throughout the city. This allows for real time responses to traffic conditions.

Fishing Villages

Minister Henry handed over the keys to the new Fisherman's Village in Falmouth, Trelawny to the Parish Council and declared the facility opened on July 16. And in October, the Portmore Fishing Village Complex in St. Catherine was opened.

The facility, located on the Jamworld property on the Dyke Road, is the new venue for the fisherfolk who previously plied their trade along the Portmore Causeway, but had to be relocated to facilitate construction of the Portmore leg of Highway 2000.

Close to $300 million was spent on the project, which comprises beach improvement works, including the dredging of a boat channel for fishing boats; and construction of 110 units for fishermen and 34 vending stalls. The complex also has secure storage cubicles for the fishermen, bathroom facilities, and areas to accommodate restaurants.