A new study, which examined the economics of road and flood control improvements along Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, has concluded that it will require a capital expenditure (CAPEX) of US$56 million or approximately $8 billion to fix the problem once and for all.

The study, undertaken by engineer Dr Chris Burgess, managing director, CEAC Solutions Company Limited, was released at the recent Jamaica Institution of Engineers conference commemorating Engineer Week 2021. The study highlighted that because of unstable hydraulic conditions and under-sized channels and crossings along the busy Marcus Garvey thoroughfare, the improvements require drains and culverts four to 10 times larger than currently exist.

The busy thoroughfare has been plagued with traffic congestion and flooding problems over the years affecting commerce, traffic and transshipment given its location close to Jamaica’s biggest seaport and access to the largest community in the English-speaking Caribbean of Portmore in St Catherine. The report cited the average annualised losses of US$32 million in 2015 before road upgrade, of which traffic-related losses were 45 per cent of the total losses plus US$21.5 million in 2020 to commerce, commuters and communities, due mostly to flood losses.

Based on the flooding and traffic problems along the thoroughfare, ”the needs of commuters, commerce and communities remain to be fully met and flood control works are inevitably required in order to realise the societal needs of over 80 businesses in Newport West, 10,000 residents, climate resilience and gains from potential land development in Tinson Pen,” the research found.

Objectives of the study

The goal of the study was to provide a sense of flood control investments and economic efficiencies, traffic, built environment flood plain characteristics as well as assessing the annualised damage and losses. In addition, the study looked at net present value (NPV) of infrastructure works already done, economic internal rate of return (IRR) and benefit cost ratio (BCR).

In his research Dr Burgess concluded that, “implementation of both the road and flood control works (2017) would have had the greatest benefits of the alternatives. In an environment of scarce financial resources:

1) Traffic improvement works in 2017 was the least capital cost alternative (low hanging fruit), however, it has greater losses (USD21.5 million) than if both road and flood control works had been implemented (losses – US$10 million).

2) Implementing both road and culverts in 2017 (followed by flood control works) would have been US$3.9 million cheaper by avoiding the foreseeable replacement cost of culverts plus traffic losses.

3) Economic analysis, climate change trends and the potential for development of Tinson Pen and MCA support undertaking the completion of the flood control works. There are net benefits of US$200 million to be realized. A 50-year RP future climate criterion is highly recommended for improved resilience.”

Abandoning Tinson Pen as an aerodrome

The study is recommending the abandonment of Tinson Pen as an aerodrome. This is based on the premise that it has been a loss-making enterprise and that it would be more profitable to redeploy the location to light-industrial use. The study highlighted that there is currently a shortage of Flexspace and warehouses, thus making this redeployment very viable, emphasising that such a scenario is not possible with the current flooding issues there.

PERB endorsed the successful conference

The Professional Engineers Registration Board (PERB) was among the many sponsors, who endorsed the staging of the JIE Conference. Chairman of PERB, Omar Sweeney, who is also a professional engineer, fully endorsed the event and applauded the innovative engineering developments presented at the conference.

“As the chief regulatory body for monitoring the practices executed by engineers, the Professional Engineers Registration Board is pleased to endorse this year’s JIE conference, as it sought to showcase some of the many high quality major projects to be developed in Jamaica. The members of PERB comprise a cadre of highly skilled professional engineers, who are capable of designing and constructing engineering projects which are applicable to international standards,” Sweeney explained

He added that, “some of these standards include the adherence to modern building codes, which are required for public safety; the adaptation to climate resilience, aerial survey techniques; and an improved drainage system. Additionally, I take this opportunity to applaud our team of professional engineers, architects, project managers and quantity surveyors for their significant contributions in charting the course for First-World engineering developments in the Jamaican landscape.”