NEGRIL, Westmoreland — An overwhelming outcry by residents of Lucea and Negril for the construction of a bypass road for the Hanover capital of Lucea has caught the attention of Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

Addressing tourism stakeholders and government agencies recently in Negril, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the government is looking at building a bypass not only for Lucea, but the town of Hopewell, also in Hanover.

“We are looking actively at doing the bypass. We also know that Hopewell is another issue, so we are looking at both Hopewell and Lucea. And the Prime Minister has taken that as one of his next thing to do, and I want to leave that to him, because I know when he takes on something, it will be done,” assured Bartlett.

The tourism minister was responding to questions raised by the President of the Negril Chamber of Commerce Lee Issa.

“Have we approached the Chinese to do the bypass and set a toll…?” Issa, who is also the chairman of Couples Resorts, asked.

Earlier this year, Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels called on Government to “take a serious look” at the traffic congestion in Hanover’s capital town, stressing that a bypass road would ease the congestion that now exists.