LUCEA, Hanover – Residents and visitors to Lucea will soon have access to more pedestrian areas, thanks to a $38-million project being spearheaded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

“In general, we believe that all of these towns in the resort [areas] should be pedestrianised or very comfortable for pedestrians, especially in a town like [Lucea] where the roads are so narrow. We want to make it safe and seamless for our locals and visitors alike to be able to enjoy the surroundings and go about their business,” explained TEF Executive Director Dr Carey Wallace.

The project, which was approved in 2019 and recently got underway, will see drains constructed and covered along Main Street, providing valuable space in a town known for congestion.

The project is now entering its second phase, with a remaining $22 million to be spent.

“It is a project that we wish to see put in place as quickly as possible. So, we are working with the Hanover Municipal Corporation to get it done,” Wallace told the Jamaica Observer.

Speaking at the corporation’s most recent monthly meeting, Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels spoke of the importance of the project.

“Back in the days when we were coming in and going out [of the town] we would use the sea wall to avoid traffic. But the sea wall has deteriorated so badly that it is so dangerous for anyone to go on top of it to walk,” he said.

“So, the municipal corporation is really fixing up the drains out there and the sidewalks so that pedestrians can use it to travel in and out of the town,” added Samuels.

He is also looking forward to the aesthetic benefit.

“It is giving the town a facelift because when it is completed and painted white you will see how beautiful that stretch is going to be to come into the town. I really welcome what is happening there,” said the mayor.