KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Works Agency (NWA) says activities have now ramped up significantly on the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project and will remain so for the next three months.

According to the agency, the heightened road construction works will be concentrated primarily in the town of Morant Bay, St Thomas where major pipe-laying activities are set to commence alongside ongoing civil works.

NWA communication and customer services manager, Stephen Shaw, explained that pipe-laying will be restricted to night-time hours within the town limits in a bid to minimise disruptions to the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

However, he pointed out that despite the contractor’s best efforts motorists should expect some impact on traffic flow, from time to time, as the works are being carried out in a largely urban setting.

The agency said the aim is to have the entire stretch of roadway between the Morant Bay Roundabout and Wharf Road paved at the end of the 90-day period.

Meanwhile, the NWA noted that various other types of civil works continue over the entire nine kilometre stretch from the Morant Bay Roundabout to Prospect in a bid to complete the $1-billion contract package within the stated contract period of 19 months.

To date, 75 per cent of the works on a major retaining sea wall in the vicinity of Morant Villas have been completed with now only a 4.5-metre high component outstanding, the agency said.