PM renames North-South Highway in honour of Edward Seaga
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Prime Minister Andrew Holness today renamed the North-South Highway the Edward Seaga Highway.
Holness, who officially renamed the highway during a ceremony at the Unity Valley Toll Plaza in Moneague, St Ann this morning, said the gesture is in honour of the former prime minister’s “contribution, his work, his dedication, his sacrifice and his life”.
The prime minister said the renaming was appropriate given that Seaga was responsible for the development of downtown Kingston. He also initiated the development and expansion of Ocho Rios as a tourism destination.
“The highway which spans several administrations, links the two economic centres — Kingston and Ocho Rios. It is, therefore, symbolically appropriate to accord Seaga this honour,” he said.
Holness said Seaga will live on through his work because he has spent his life building institutions and infrastructure that define the nation and provide service and value.
“We memorialise his work, his legacy in a physical manifestation, and we inscribe his name on it that it might live on in the minds of those who own the future, that they may be inspired by it and seek to make similar if not greater contributions to building our nation,” he said.
In response, Seaga said the event represented an “extraordinary moment” in his life and thanked the prime minister for according him with the honour.
Seaga said highways are important features in the continued development of the country.
“We cannot build cities and towns that are separated from each other without having at least a link through which to join them,” he said.
In the meantime, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica, His Excellency Tian Qi, pointed out that the highway is not only for traffic, “but also a highway to the happiness, success, and prosperity for Jamaica”.
“The Edward Seaga Highway is a paradigm of successful practical cooperation between China and Jamaica and is also the crystallisation of China’s capital, technology, and Jamaica’s incentive for foreign direct investment,” he said.
