PRIME Minister P J Patterson officially opened the Negril to Montego Bay leg of the North Coast Highway project Friday, three years late and more than J$2-billion (approx US$47.7 million) over budget.

Speaking before a large throng of supporters after a tour of the highway, Patterson said that the project, which was originally contracted to South Korean contractors, Bosung Engineering at US$24.998-million, had come in at a little under US$73-million.

The direct construction cost, he said, was US$71.4-million and there was an additional US$1.3-million for land acquisition and relocation of structures that were impinging upon sections of the selected route.

The project, which began in September 1997, had an original completion date of September 1999. Since its completion, there have been mixed reactions to the highway, which the PNP have proudly listed among their solid achievements.

While it has received kudos for significantly cutting the travel time between the two tourist resort areas, concerns have been raised about the highway’s cost.

The most recent came from the president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mark Kerr-Jarrett and his Negril counterpart Kenric Davis.

Last week, Davis charged that while the project had cut the travelling time between the two resorts, he believed that it had been mismanaged.

But Patterson vehemently rejected that argument at Friday’s official opening.

“They like to write about mismanagement. And when they write about mismanagement they are really sending a little code word that there is some corruption. And without coming out and saying so, they want to accuse the political directorate of corruption and incompetence,” he said as his supporters roared their agreement at the function held at Point, Negril.

“Let me say that in this project there has been no incompetence on the part of the political directorate and there is no semblance of corruption of any shape or form.”

The cost had increased, he said, because of factors including:

* the inability of Bosung Engineering to complete the project after problems in the Asian financial markets; and

* increased project costs after construction was halted as three local contractors were brought in to help Bosung finish the job.

During the highway tour Friday, the prime minister named three sections of the roadway in honour of notable Jamaicans, and unveiled the plaques that bore their names.

The section from Pye River to Great River was named in honour of Allan G S “Father” Coombs; the stretch from Great River to Kew Bridge was named for former PNP MP Dr Aston King; and the section from New Green Island to the Negril Roundabout was named for Norman Washington Manley, the founder of the ruling People’s National Party and the person credited with starting the development of Negril.

According to Patterson, the section from Kew Bridge to New Green Island will be named “at a later date”.