MONTEGO BAY, St James — Member of Parliament for St James East Central Edmund Bartlett has flatly rejected a bypass route that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has reportedly proposed for the resort city of Montego Bay.

“Whilst CHEC may find it more economical for them to propose a bypass, just a little outside of Montego Bay and re-enter the corridor, it would not be appropriate,” Bartlett told the Jamaica Observer West.

A recent Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI)-commissioned study, undertaken by CHEC, has come up with a route for the Montego Bay bypass that is much shorter than one originally proposed.

The study shows that three-quarters of the motor vehicles that contribute to the overwhelming traffic congestion in the city are owned by people in and around Montego Bay.

Consequently, according to President of the MBCCI Gloria Henry, CHEC suggests that instead of taking the originally proposed thoroughfare from Falmouth, Trelawny, to just outside of Bogue, St James — via Adelphi, St James — a bypass that leads from Lilliput, St James and empties out traffic in the Fairview area of the parish, would be sufficient to remedy the current traffic nightmare.

But, Bartlett argued that originally the bypass road that was proposed for Montego Bay was not merely geared towards easing traffic congestion, but for housing and business developments in Trelawny and St James communities, through which it would traverse.

“I think that the discussion can’t begin at the chamber and stop at the chamber with CHEC, because there are wider implications to the development of the road system,” the MP said.

In fact, he questioned why St James members of parliament were not privy to current talks about the development of a bypass road for Montego Bay.

“There has never been one consultation with the members of parliament in the area with the proposed realignment of the road network to facilitate our access to Montego Bay,” Bartlett said.

He added: “As early as 2002 I had proposed, by way of my budget presentation in Parliament, a bypass road, what I call a trunk route, which would take off the articulated vehicles from the Queens Drive and Gloucester Avenue and create access through Fairfield, Adelphi, Watson Town, Bunker’s Hill into Hague. The effect of that would be to create a new corridor for development in Trelawny and St James.”

The bypass route proposed by CHEC would run behind the St James communities of Barrett Town, Ironshore and “north-east of the city to connect with the Northern Coastal Highway at Bogue”.

But, Bartlett argued that it would be even more economical for the Chinese engineering firm to construct a new route along the original proposed route.

“The cost of doing it would also be significantly lower than even the proposed bypass [by CHEC] since that bypass would be going through heavy limestone rocky areas and would also entail relocation of houses. That particular area is heavily populated. Whilst the route originally thought of is low-lying… which would take you substantially through the Queen of Spain Valley,” Bartlett said.