DESPITE reassurance from Prime Minister Andrew Holness that plans are afoot to continue with the construction of a highway in St Thomas, which would extend to Portland, some residents in the eastern parish are threatening protest action if the project does not get underway soon.

The People’s National Party Administration in 2015 announced that Government intended to construct a US$385-million highway which would run from Harbour View in St Andrew to Port Antonio in Portland as part of the South Coast Highway project.

Since then, the Andrew Holness-led Administration announced a scaled-down plan for the highway, citing that it would include a four-lane thoroughfare running from Harbour View to Bull Bay. This is approximately 6.8 kilometres of the distance that was originally planned to run from Harbour View to Morant Bay. As the project continues to Port Antonio in Portland, it will be reduced first to a three-lane roadway, and then to two lanes.

However, there have been growing concerns among residents as to whether or not the highway will be constructed.

Rushane Hibbert, a gas station attendant who has lived in Seaforth in the parish for more than 20 years, said that even with announcements, he was not certain if the highway would become a reality.

“Wi just want to know if it a come for real, because wi a hear too much different things. We want to know how far it ah come and wi want it pass through the town (Morant Bay). Mi affi see the plan, see where it going, then mi will believe and know how it a go affect wi. Wi confused; wi nuh really know if a true,” he said.

Glenton Wheeler, a native of St Thomas who now lives in the Cayman Islands but operates a taxi business in the parish, argued that the parish is deserving of a highway as well as other infrastructure, and suggested that the Government make every effort to develop the parish.

He said: “There’s no development and no one will invest around here if it’s not developed. I would like to see progress; I would like to see the highway. If there is a road here, people will come here. Right now the bad roads costing me a lot, especially for front-end parts. The highway is needed. But not only that, tourists will come here.”

At the same time, taxi operator Dave Leslie insisted that the parish is “down” and noted that the highway “would be good”.

“The highway will increase activities for us. It will bring in more people and we want it to build our parish,” Leslie, who plies the Morant Bay to Prospect route in the parish, said.

Dalbert McCalla, another taxi operator, said a highway in the parish would amount to spin-off roads being fixed, and that he welcomed any move by the Government to improve the parish.

Morant Bay vendor Delroy Bailey argued that St Thomas has contributed a lot to other parishes, but has been forgotten.

“St Thomas has a lot of resources. Most of the sand that builds the other parishes comes from St Thomas. Yallahs is the biggest quarry in Jamaica; we really need the road. It will cause the parish to attract business,” said Bailey.

Another vendor in the market, who declined to give his name, threatened to block major roads leading into and out of the parish.

“Unuh waah wi cut off every access to in here and block every pipeline weh give unuh water? Wi want di highway and wi serious!” the vendor said.

Norma Taylor, who was engaged in a heated debate over the highway, said:“ Observer, look here, a highway wi want and a highway wi affi get now. It affi come or else… a highway wi want and a highway wi seh.”

The residents argued that for decades elected representatives have ignored the parish and insisted that the highway would be a “breakthrough” for further development.