KINGSTON, Jamaica — A sum of $17.4 billion has been allotted in the 2021/22 Estimates of Expenditure to continue implementation of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP).

The project seeks to improve the alignment and capacity of the existing southern coastal main arterial road in order to make it safe and efficient, free from flooding and provide for future development.

The funds will be used to carry out Part A works under the project, which relate to the May Pen to Williamsfield segment. This will include continuing and completing designs, continuing road construction works and achieving 65 per cent completion, continuing land acquisition activities and gaining access to 100 per cent of necessary parcels along the May Pen to Williamsfield road alignment, and continuing utilities relocation and achieve 100 per cent completion.

For Part B of the works – Harbour View to Albion to Yallahs Bridge, Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio, and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley – the allocation will be used to continue construction works on the Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge segment, achieve 60 per cent completion, and mobilise and complete various other construction packages and achieve 65 per cent to 100 per cent completion.

Up to December 2020 under the project, design for the May Pen to Williamsfield  section was 90 per cent completed,  the Harbour View to Albion to Yallahs Bridge segment was 10 per cent completed, the Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio construction was 15 per cent completed, and the Morant Bay to Cedar Valley construction was 40 per cent  completed.

In addition, five of 15 pipeline contracts for the Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio, and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley segments were awarded; five of 15 construction packages for the Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley sections reached 16 per cent completion.

Other works done for the various segments include the completion of an alignment survey and preliminary drone survey, completion of land acquisition sketch plans, and completion of an informal review of outline design.

The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with funding from the Exim Bank of China and the Government of Jamaica

Following several extensions, the project, which began in January 2017, is slated to end in March 2022.