Contract signed for final leg of north coast highway
THE government yesterday signed a contract, valued at J$5.7 billion, with the European Commission to Jamaica to finance the reconstruction and rehabilitation of segment three of the Northern Coastal Highway.
The government will be contributing just over J$1.86 billion towards the project.
Segment three of the highway will run for approximately 96 kilometres – from Ocho Rios to Port Antonio – and will mark the final phase of the construction of the Northern Coastal Highway.
Segment one, which is already completed, currently runs from Negril to Montego Bay, and Segment two, which is estimated to be 75 per cent complete, will run from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios.
This contract will be executed by E PIHL and Son from Denmark and sub-contractor Lagan International from Northern Ireland, while the Ministry of Transport and Works will act as the contracting authority for the works contract.
Prime Minister P J Patterson, who signed the contract on behalf of the government at Jamaica House, said the funds contributed by the European Commission represented money earned by Jamaica under the Sismes Agreement, which forms part of the Lome agreement, and will be used only for the construction of the highway.
He said the construction of the highway should:
. reduce vehicle operating costs;
. reduce time spent on cross island travel;
. decrease incidences of flooding and related damage to the road surface;
. create employment for a wide cross-section of Jamaican workers and increased patronage for local businesses, particularly those in the food and beverage and hospitality sectors.
Patterson also suggested that the highway may have positive implications for eco-tourism and may also stimulate cruise shipping. He said all the necessary precautions would be taken to preserve the environment during the construction. “It is in nobody’s interest to destroy or contribute to environmental degradation,” he said.
Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Jamaica, Gerd Jarchow, signed on behalf of his organisation.
Construction on segment three of the highway is estimated to last for 32 months. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project is likely to be held in December.
