KINGSTON, Jamaica — The US$64-million Mandela Highway Realignment and Reconstruction project, which was originally slated to be completed by next month, has been pushed back to year end.

In an interview with JIS News, acting communications and customer service manager at the National Works Agency (NWA) Ramona Lawson, said the two-year project, which started in August 2016, is “currently 86 per cent complete”.

“The works that we are currently doing on Mandela include the construction of box culverts under the westbound lanes. We are doing some subgrade filling on the QRamp as well… and we will be prefabricating, offsite, a concrete box culvert that is to be installed in the vicinity of the Six Miles drainage,” Lawson said.

The Mandela Highway reconstruction project will, among other things, increase the number of lanes from four to six between Six Miles and the ‘on and off’ ramps of Highway 2000.

In addition, sections of the roadway will be raised to reduce the risk of the corridor becoming inundated, while the Duhaney River box culvert will be upgraded and a new bridge constructed over the Fresh River.

On July 22, 2016 a contract was signed by the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation to facilitate the expansion and elevation of the Mandela Highway.

Mandela Highway, an important thoroughfare in the nation’s road infrastructure, serves as a link between Kingston and the northern, western and southern sections of the island.