Section of South Coast Highway to be named in honour of national hero Paul Bogle, says Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the stretch of the South Coast Highway leading to St Thomas, once completed, will be named the Right Excellent Paul Bogle Highway “in honour of our National Hero who gave his life in the struggle against oppression and injustice in Jamaica”.
Holness made the commitment on Thursday during his contribution to the Budget Debate.
“When the new chapter of St Thomas is written, it will show that this administration has done the most for the people of St Thomas. We have brought roads, water, jobs, industries, and development to what is now the ‘Renaissance Parish’,” Holness said.
The prime minister noted that the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) is the largest integrated road infrastructure project ever undertaken in Jamaica. He also noted that the Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge leg of the highway was officially opened in February of this year.1
“This impressive 17.4 kilometres of roadway has significantly reduced travel time between Kingston and St Thomas from 45 to 15 minutes. Along with the roadway, there has been the installation of approximately 28 kilometres of water lines, 350 metres of sewer lines, and 17.8 metres of fibre optic ducts, benefiting 348 properties. This Government gets things done,” Holness declared.
He told the House that the Government was now focused on completing the Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and the Morant Bay to Cedar Valley legs of the highway which will open up that corridor with water, broadband and sewer lines in some areas.
“The Government is now concentrating efforts on commencing the Port Antonio Bypass Project in the coming fiscal year,” said the prime minister. The bypass will unfold in two phases. Phase 1 from Norwich to Turtle Crawl Harbour (7 km) and Phase 2 from Turtle Crawl Harbour to Boston Bay (11 km), aligning with the goals of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project,” Holness said.
Currently, the government is exploring Phase 1, estimated at approximately US$82 million, with a duration of 24 months, aiming to improve access to growing townships and mitigate coastal risks.
