THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) says popular dancehall artiste Andrae Sutherland, popularly known as Popcaan, has joined forces with Member of Parliament for St Thomas Eastern Dr Fenton Ferguson to lobby for “greater improvements” in the road infrastructure in the parish.

According to a media release issued by the party on Friday, a meeting was called after a recent peaceful protest by Popcaan, a native of Bath, St Thomas, and residents of the parish in relation to road conditions throughout St Thomas.

The PNP said both agreed that the Southern Coastal Highway is important to the development of the parish, and that their united effort in lobbying Government would ensure that this project becomes a reality to improve the lives of the people of the parish.

Work on the St Thomas leg of the South Coast Highway is to begin in 2018, the National Works Agency (NWA) said earlier this year.

The US$384-million project will cover a four-lane highway from Harbour View to Bull Bay, largely utilising the existing alignment of the roadway; an upgrade to the road between Bull Bay and Morant Bay, which may include minor road realignment, a truck lane and the reduction of deep corners and steep ridges; as well as improvement of the road from Morant Bay to Port Antonio, and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley.

“Popcaan states that he wants the best for the parish of his birth, and will work with the MP and other critical stakeholders to bring focus to the issues and to garner the necessary investments for the parish,” the PNP release said.

At the same time, the party said Ferguson welcomes the concerns of Popcaan and the opportunity to join with “a personality that resonates with the youth to lobby for the upliftment of St Thomas”.

The PNP informed that Ferguson and Popcaan have agreed to tour the areas of concern together and see how best they can work for the benefit of the parish.