KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Works Agency in a news release Friday said that plans for the construction of the Montego Bay bypass could be further delayed, as data necessary for informing action has been stolen.

The data was reportedly stolen in Portmore, St Catherine, last night.

Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw said that the data, which was collected over two days, earlier this week, was among items in a Nissan AD Wagon motor car which was stolen.

He said the motor car was driven by a member of the team that collected the data, between Wednesday and Thursday. The team member arrived at home in Portmore from Montego Bay late last night and parked the vehicle, which was stolen.

Shaw said that more than 2,000 questionnaires that were administered at four locations around the city of Montego Bay were in the car at the time it was stolen.

There have been many calls for a bypass of the bustling city centre, due to the traffic congestion. As productive sectors increase, it is anticipated that the volume of traffic within the city centre will continue to grow and contribute to further gridlock.

Shaw lamented that the NWA and the National Road Operating and Construction Company (NROCC), which has been charged with the responsibility to execute the project, will now have to go back to the drawing board, if the stolen data is not recovered. This will mean going back into the field to collect data, which is necessary for the proper planning of the road.