KINGSTON, Jamaica — Ground is scheduled to be broken on Saturday (July 16) for construction of the long-awaited Montego Bay Perimeter Road.

According to a release, thousands of road users will benefit from the project, which will entail construction of a 14.9-kilometre bypass of the city to ease traffic congestion affecting the area, rehabilitation of Barnett Street and West Green Avenue, construction of the Long Hill Bypass, as well as a drainage study.

A US$274.5 million contract was signed between the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) last November, for the undertaking.

Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs and Member of Parliament for St James West Central, Marlene Malahoo Forte, said she is excited about the solution that the perimeter road project offers.

“Anyone who travels through St. James knows the nightmare that it can be with traffic congestion. The road will allow persons to go through without jamming up the town and is expected to assist persons in getting to and from the airport within a 15 to 20-minute time frame, so I’m really excited,” she said.

Malahoo Forte was speaking after a recent courtesy call with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica, Chen Dao Jiang, at the Jamaica House Courtesy Room.

“The meeting with Ambassador Chen Dao Jiang is a special one for me especially because it is taking place just ahead of the official start of work on the Montego Bay Perimeter Road. I am excited because the cooperation between China and Jamaica has been long, and there are many projects that have been done, including infrastructure projects that have benefited the people,” she said.

Montego Bay is Jamaica’s main resort town and is home to the island’s largest and busiest international airport, with roughly 4,200 passengers arriving and departing per hour.

Construction of the perimeter road is anticipated to increase productivity, as Jamaicans living and working in the area will spend less time in traffic.

Meanwhile, Malahoo Forte said that the Government continues to work towards land acquisition, to facilitate the road works.

“The work comes in different stages. There is a lot of it you don’t see on the ground but there are critical components to what must be done for the road to be constructed.

“I know the alignment must be done and the acquisition of the properties…the Government has been working to address all the issues that have arisen,” she said.