EXPANSION of Grange Lane in Portmore into a dual carriageway will also seek to address water woes and sewer issues, says MP of St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge.

The more than $900-million project, which commenced in December last year, will create a dual carriageway of Grange Lane from Municipal all the way down to Augusta Drive – Independence City.

Terrelonge, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, said work is expected to be completed by 2026 at the latest.

Currently, he says workmen are installing bigger sewer pipes and water mains to address the long-standing issues in the city.

“The communities have been plagued with lock-offs and low water pressure, as well as when there is flooding, you have effluent that comes across into some communities, which stems really from poor management at the local level, but certainly as a government, we are committed to ensuring that the resources are provided so that we can have these developments done,” he said.

“It’s a win for the community. It’s a win for the residents. It’s a win for the soon-to-be parish. It’s a win for commerce, growth, and development generally,” he added.

The project, when completed, is also expected to reduce traffic congestion in the area, making it easier for residents to commute to work and school.

When it was initially announced, Portmore residents expressed the need to have more heavily trafficked areas such as Dyke Road and Braeton Parkway addressed first.

According to the MP, Grange Lane was selected because it will make it more feasible to address traffic build-up in these other areas.

“When this road is widened, that will alleviate traffic in the other areas, so then, you can work on widening roads in those areas. We do have our concerns about areas such as Braeton Parkway that need to be widened. There is also going to be a new entrance coming into Portmore, this will be from Mandela cutting across the cane field by Ackee village,” said Terrelonge.

He added that he continues to advocate for Braeton Parkway and Portmore Pines, noting that discussions have taken place. However, a timeline has not yet been set.

— Tamoy Ashman