Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Videos
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obits
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • Videos
  • Career & Education
  • Classifieds
  • All Woman
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Design Week
St Elizabeth roadwork a good start, says Azan
A section of the JointwoodRoad for which $10 millionhas been allocated. (PHOTOS:GREGORY BENNETT)
Central, News, Regional
April 24, 2015

St Elizabeth roadwork a good start, says Azan

SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — All agreed that the $10 million allocated for patching work on the badly scoured Jointwood Road, which links Maggotty to Elderslie in North West St Elizabeth, “is just a drop in the bucket”.

But junior minister for Works, Richard Azan, and local political representatives also agreed that it is “a start and better than nothing”.

Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North West, JC Hutchinson, who represents the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Ipswich Division Errol Hummingbird told journalists that they expected more resources to be made available in time.

“I recognise the minister has just come to look at the roads (but) I am hoping he will provide some funds for the main road to augment the $10 million…,” Hutchinson told journalists.

On a quick road tour – much of it driving in rain – Azan saw for himself dangerously potholed and broken sections of the Jointwood Road. Locals pointed out that the roadway is strategic since it links Maggotty through Elderslie to St James, through Niagara and Mocho to Montego Bay.

They claim that if properly maintained, the road, on the fringes of the rugged Cockpit Country, could become the easiest route, not only for residents of St Elizabeth going to Montego Bay, but for tourists travelling from the island’s North Coast to the South Coast, and vice versa.

“That is one of the roads, which, if you could get it fixed, you could have tourists coming up from Montego Bay and even Ocho Rios to come to St Elizabeth… it would make it easier to get to the south coast of St Elizabeth,” Hummingbird said.

Azan made it clear that while all options remained open, shortage of money was a huge drawback.

“We have plans for almost all the roads but funding is scarce… the demand is big but the resources are quite small. I won’t tell you that all the roads will be taken care of in this financial year, but we have programmes for all our major roads,” he said.

Hutchinson pleaded the need for major resurfacing to upgrade the Middle Quarters to New Market main road, which currently provides the shortest viable route from St Elizabeth to Montego Bay; as well as major rehabilitation required for the stretrch from Springfield to Pisgah.

Azan’s tour also took him and National Works Agency officials to Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) projects in South East St Elizabeth and South West St Elizabeth.

In Junction, South Eeast St Elizabeth they inspected an upgrade of a district road which is to serve as a southerly bypass for the bustling, fast-growing town.

A feature of the tour was at Big Woods in South West St Elizabeth where a $10.1-million box culvert bridge was officially opened. The section of road had been closed for years because of hurricane damage, forcing motorists to detour through private land.

Azan confirmed to journalists that $120 million had been allocated for the recently announced major upgrade of the Mountainside to Watchwell road, which links Lacovia to the seaside resort of Treasure Beach.

 

HUMMINGBIRD… good roadswould make life easier forthose travelling to and fromMontego Bay
Hutchinson (second right) reasons with Azan (right) and members of the touring party.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Bigga Little Ochie Seafood Carnival draws record crowd
Latest News, News
Bigga Little Ochie Seafood Carnival draws record crowd
July 28, 2026
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Thousands of patrons flocked to Little Ochie in Alligator Pond, Manchester, on July 12 for the 2026 staging of the Bigga Little ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Fire destroys commercial building in St James, $35m loss estimated
Latest News, News
Fire destroys commercial building in St James, $35m loss estimated
July 28, 2026
ST JAMES, Jamaica — A commercial building in Ducketts, Cambridge in St James was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning in a blaze of unknown origin....
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
OECS appoints new strategic advisor for Africa-Caribbean cooperation
Latest News, Regional
OECS appoints new strategic advisor for Africa-Caribbean cooperation
July 28, 2026
CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — The St Lucia-based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission Tuesday announced the appointment of Aisha Ma...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Dwane Harris cops Liberty Business-sponsored Digital Transformation Award
Latest News, News
Dwane Harris cops Liberty Business-sponsored Digital Transformation Award
July 28, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Dwayne Harris, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of MeetAbie Solutions Limited, copped the Liberty Business-sponsored Digita...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
More than 50 Haitians intercepted at sea
Latest News, Regional
More than 50 Haitians intercepted at sea
July 28, 2026
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — Bahamian law enforcement agencies say they have detained 54 Haitian migrants, including a three-year-old child and drugs after...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Mancini returns as coach of crisis-hit Italy
Latest News, Sports
Mancini returns as coach of crisis-hit Italy
July 28, 2026
ROME, Italy (AFP) -- Roberto Mancini has been named the head coach of Italy's national team for a second time, tasked with revitalising the Azzurri wh...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Lee ‘Priest’ Johnson retains JIIFSC crown with ‘One Of A Kind’
Entertainment, Latest News
Lee ‘Priest’ Johnson retains JIIFSC crown with ‘One Of A Kind’
July 28, 2026
Lee “Priest” Johnson, representing Georgia, won the Jamaica International Independence Foreign Song Competition (JIIFSC) for a second straight year. H...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
‘Only job I wanted’: France turn to Zidane as coach
Latest News, Sports
‘Only job I wanted’: France turn to Zidane as coach
July 28, 2026
PARIS, France (AFP) -- Zinedine Zidane was appointed France coach on Tuesday, as widely expected, following the departure of Didier Deschamps, the Fre...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct