MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Residents of Redberry, Hampton Road and Trinity in Manchester have continued to disrupt the construction of the US$188-million May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has claimed.

Valton Simpson, environment, health and safety engineer at China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), contractor for the project, said up to Monday residents of Trinity protested that their properties are too close to the alignment of the highway.

“They interrupt the construction activity because if they come and stand on the site or stand in front of the equipment then we have to just stop work,” Simpson told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

Last year, the residents protested over concerns of flooding, noise and dust nuisances.

Simpson said the National Road Operating & Constructing Company (NROCC), which is responsible for overseeing the design, construction and maintenance of Jamaica’s highways, has organised a meeting for Thursday to discuss the issues with the residents and “come up with the most amicable solution”.

He said the project, which will reduce travel time between Kingston, Mandeville and other towns, is 67 per cent complete.

“On the plain from Rio Minho to Milk River Bridge most of the excavation work has been done and what we are doing now there is mainly roadwork and drainage work. We have started asphalting in that area,” he said.

“On the hill we are still doing cutting and filling. Most of our overpasses have been constructed with the exception of the one on St Jago road,” he added.

The project was originally scheduled for completion in October 2022, but has been extended to March 2023.

Simpson said Manchester is the main problematic area with residents expecting compensation for dust and noise nuisance.

“… Which is not in the project, so for that reason we periodically have pockets of demonstration,” he said.

He said surveys were done prior to the commencement of the highway construction.

“All dwelling structures within 100 metres from the centre of the alignment were surveyed, so we have documentation on the condition of the structure,” he said.

He said a survey was also done before blasting activities covering all structures within 800 metres from the site.

“At the end of the construction activity, we will go back into the field and conduct a post-blast survey and make the comparison … to find out if there is any variance,” he said.