THE National Works Agency (NWA) and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the implementation of projects to beautify and maintain roundabouts, verges and medians in resort areas islandwide.

The MOU will make it easier for government agencies and private sector entities to cooperate in the upkeep and beautification of road reservation in all the resort areas, said Wykeham McNeill, junior minister in the industry and tourism ministry.

The MOU, signed at the TPDCo’s conference room in New Kingston, was the result of months of discussions between the agencies, McNeill said.

TPDCo had innovative and high-impact beautification plans and was looking for private sector companies and community-based organisations and groups that would be willing to adopt the roundabouts and verges, the junior minister said.

“The company’s technical staff is developing layouts and drawings for theme parks and roundabouts throughout the resort areas. Concurrently, they are approaching business entities and groups encouraging them to adopt these areas,” McNeill said.

TPDCo on its own, he said, could not implement these projects.

“We realise that we could not, and cannot do it on our own. We need water, and we needed permission to work in these various areas. We are responsible citizens, and so we are thankful to NWA for agreeing to partner with us to make it possible to work in the areas, McNeill said.

Meanwhile, Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill said that an increasing number of private sector entities were signing on to the “Tree-mendous Beautification” Adopt-a-Roadway programme that was formally launched by his ministry and the NWA in May 2004.

He said that in 2002 the ministry conceived the idea of the Adopt-a-Roadway programme with the vision of developing the main road network to world-class standards and facilitating projects aimed at improving the scenery along the island’s main roads.

However, the programme was only formally launched last year, when five entities – the National Commercial Bank, Life of Jamaica Limited (LOJ), JN Real Estate, Guardian Life and the Jamaica Mortgage Bank – participated in the beautification of Trafalgar Road.

“Many will agree that Trafalgar Road is now one of the most scenic examples of Jamaica’s main roads, thanks to the awesome job done by these five sponsors to beautify the corridor. Their efforts have been complemented by the development of the magnificent Sculpture Park by LOJ,” Pickersgill said.

Since the launch several other companies have agreed to help in beautifying sections of the Corporate Area, he added.

Red Stripe is beautifying the Spanish Town Road median from the Exchange Retail Centre to the vicinity of the Jamaica Biscuit Company, while Nature’s Paradise, a member of the Guardsman Group of Companies, has been working to enhance the median at the intersection of Old Hope Road and Munroe Road.

Design Options Limited has undertaken to beautify the verge at Shortwood Road/Constant Spring Road, while McIntosh Bedding has adopted a section of the Spanish Town Road and Petrojam has adopted 1,100 ft of the median strip along Marcus Garvey Drive. The St Mary Banana Producers Company has also adopted a section of the Junction Main Road, Pickersgill said.

He said that 16 companies in rural Jamaica also wanted to participate in the Adopt-a- Roadway programme.