Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Barbican Road development project is a signal of the type of impetus for economic growth that his Administration will be rolling out across the island.

Speaking at a mini town hall meeting at Barbican square last Thursday evening — the first in a Jamaica House series dubbed “OPM live” – Holness noted that Barbican, which comprises a wide spectrum of communities including Barbican, Grant’s Pen, Graham Heights, Millsborough, Sandy Park, Jack’s Hill, Cherry Gardens, among others, is a special community which represents the entire span of the Jamaican citizenry.

He said that the community is also an area that has potential for significant economic expansion, but that this is being hampered by road and housing infrastructure. “We have a plan to improve the infrastructure of Barbican — it starts with the road,” he remarked, noting that a significant portion of the traffic flow goes through that area, with traffic management data showing that about 26,000 motor vehicles pass through the community daily.

“The present configuration doesn’t allow for traffic to clear easily when there are peak demands for road space,” he said. The prime minister pointed out that Barbican is not the only area with a traffic congestion problem in Kingston, and that the work has started to ease the pile-up in other sections of the Kingston Metropolitan Region with the completion of the widening of Marcus Garvey Drive, which is to be opened soon.

He noted also that the second phase of the widening of the Mandela Highway is now being negotiated, and that improvements are to be made to Constant Spring Road, designs for which have already been completed, while the Government is in the process of acquiring property to allow for that development.

Meanwhile, Communications Manager at the National Works Agency, (NWA) Stephen Shaw, informed the residents that the US$4.4-million project ,which spans four months, should be completed by December.

He explained that the Government had to acquire 30 parcels of land at a cost of over $300 million in on order to facilitate the widening of the corridor. “We intend to hold the contractor to book as it relates to how traffic will flow when construction is underway. Two lanes will remain open at all times, so we are going to be ensuring that you have access to the corridor,” he said.

Shaw noted that as part of the project, the National Water Commission will be installing water and sewer lines simultaneously in order to prevent a piecemeal situation. “Very often we hear complaints coming from persons about construction activities not being properly aligned, (with) NWA doing the work and then water commission coming thereafter. This project is an example of how it is that we intend to proceed going forward,” he stated.

Some of the enhancements which the residents and other road users will benefit from when the project is completed are turning lanes at Birdsucker Avenue — which will become a signalised intersection, along with the intersections at Jack’s Hill — and East King’s House Road and Barbican Road. “So this loop that you’re accustomed to making for many years will no longer be…the traffic congestion will no longer be … persons will be getting to work much quicker, there should be improved productivity, and the economy should benefit overall,” Holness said.

Also addressing the residents, MP for St Andrew North East Delroy Chuck emphasised that: “This is just the beginning,” disclosing that negotiations have commenced for a major shopping plaza to be developed at the roundabout within the next few years. “The plans for this are in place. Once the roads are finished and the roundabout is removed, there is likely to be additional economic activity,” Chuck said.