AFTER almost 10 months and at least one missed start-up date, work to rebuild the collapsed section of the Spring Mount main road in St James has finally got underway.

The work, which began two weeks ago, will see contractors Surrey Paving and Structures Limited building almost 400 metres of roadway at a cost of $27 million.

According to the National Works Agency (NWA) the work, which is being undertaken through the government’s Flood Repairs Programme, is to be completed within the next 12 weeks.

The road collapsed during the flood rains that pelted western Jamaica in the latter part of last December, almost a year after it was officially closed by the Public Works Department (PWD).

For the past 10 months, the almost 15,000 residents who used the road to travel to St Elizabeth have been forced to take lengthier routes through Anchovy and Kempshot.

In addition, persons from Springfield, Kensington, Maldon, Point and Maroon Town have also had to contend with the sharp increases in taxi fares.

But despite the inconvenience the collapsed road has caused, an April start-up date that was given by transport and works minister, Peter Phillips was met because of a problem with the acquisition of the land on which the new road is being built.

Negotiations are still ongoing between government and the landowner but work was able to get underway after he gave his consent.

“The landowner has given us the go ahead, and while that is being done, some dialogue is taking place between (him) and the government with respect to compensation,” according to the NWA spokesman Stephen Shaw.

“Given the urgency of the situation where over 15,000 people have been virtually cut off and it is the main road linking Montego Bay to many areas, I think both parties agreed that it was important for the work to go on while certain other things are being ironed out,” he said.

Meanwhile, 15 kilometres of roadway from Johns Hall to Stapleton and from Amity Hall to Kensington is being rehabilitated.

The contract for the repair of those roads was awarded to DR Foote Construction Limited at a cost of $16.5 million.

Shaw said the work started six weeks ago and he said the expectation was that it would be completed within the next six to eight weeks.