ALBION MOUNTAIN, St Mary — Residents of this rural Jamaica district have received well-needed improvement to a section of the road in their community that had been in a deplorable condition for several years.

One kilometre of the Roslyn main road was rehabilitated at a cost of $4.5 million through funding provided by the European Union (EU) and the St Mary Parish Council under the EU’s Rural Economic and Social Infrastructure Support Project (RESISP).

The rehabilitation of the thoroughfare, for which the EU provided approximately $2.7m and the parish council found approximately $1.8m, is one of several projects the local authorities in St Mary have undertaken under the RESISP programme.

Approximately $230m is to be used by the EU and the local authorities in six parishes to fund projects that are aimed at addressing the economic fallout resulting from the discontinuation of the EU’s preferential banana agreement with Jamaica.

The other parishes benefiting from the grant are St James, Portland, St Thomas, St Catherine and Clarendon.

The projects under the RESISP programme are aimed at providing sustainable community-based benefits such as water, roads, basic schools, health facilities and production units, to traditional banana production areas.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the road at the Albion Mountain Primary School last Friday, mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Richard Creary, explained that the kilometre of roadway was rehabilitated following consultation with residents who asked that that section be improved.

For his part, head of delegation of the EU to Jamaica, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni, said the rehabilitation of the roadway will benefit the banana industry as it will allow farmers better access to markets.

“The extended community will also benefit as the road rehabilitation will improve their standards of living by facilitating access to social services by spinning off new economic activities,” Ambassador Alemanni said.

He said the opening of the road was another important testament of the close co-operation and productive partnership established by the EU and the Jamaican Government.

Residents of the farming community said for many years they have suffered because of the deplorable condition of the roadway. They have lauded the EU and the local authorities for including the community as part of the project.

However, the residents want further improvement work to be undertaken on other sections of the road, which are riddled with huge potholes and scoured surfaces.

“Before this part of the road was fixed it was so rough, we don’t know how the taxi men managed,” said Anthony Thompson, a resident. “Now we are so comfortable, but we need the remainder of the road to be fixed.”

State minister with responsibility for local government, Robert Montague, in lauding the initiative of the EU, said the projects being undertaken in the parish will significantly improve the lives of residents. He urged residents and the parish council to maintain the roadway, adding that the improved thoroughfare will attract other projects to the area.