CONSTRUCTION work is now slated to begin at the breakaway on Gordon Town Road in St Andrew after Cabinet’s approval of a $187-million contract to fix the section of the roadway that collapsed after heavy rains last November.

While touring the area in December, Prime Minister Holness indicated that it would cost the Government in the region of $200 million to effect repairs to the major road which connects several Gordon Town communities to the Corporate Area.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams said approval to the contract means that the works will begin shortly.

“Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract to N F Barnes Construction and Equipment Company Limited for the retaining wall construction works to address the breakaway along Gordon Town Road in St Andrew in the amount of $187, 662, 532,” said Minister Williams.

The National Works Agency (NWA) last week announced that they had instructed the contractor to commence works by early February.

The NWA said that the project entails the construction of a retaining wall in order to reinstate the roadway. The construction project is scheduled to be completed over six months.

“The design calls for the construction of a 71-metre retaining wall to hold the road embankment at the affected location, which will form the major part of the works.

“The retaining wall will comprise of both random rubble masonry and a reinforced concrete structure which together will be approximately 21.5 metres high. A number of site visits and geological reviews had to be conducted at the site to inform the current solution as the road embankment is located on unstable soil,” said a release issued by the NWA last week.

The section of road, which is located along the Papine to Redlight corridor, failed in the vicinity of Stand Up Hill following heavy, incessant rainfall late last year.