ST MARY, Jamaica – A  $197-million contract has been signed for the Annotto Bay Coastal Protection Beach Nourishment Project in St Mary.

According to a news release on Monday, the contract was signed during a ceremony at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) in Kingston.

The signatories included JSIF managing director, Omar Sweeney; Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and St Mary South Eastern Member of Parliament, Dr Norman Dunn; and operations director, S&G Road Surfacing Materials Limited, Anthony Sampson.

The scope of the work is scheduled to include the construction of two Groynes, which are expected to function as a trap to hold the sand in place, and the placement of sand along 244 metres (800 feet) of the existing beach.

This beach nourishment will extend 12 metres (40 feet) seaward from the existing slope. The final beach will sit approximately 1.5 metres (five feet) above sea level.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Sweeney said the Government has been investing in the protection of coastlines islandwide.

“The work to be done here is really targeted at one of our most vulnerable coastlines in Jamaica, the Annotto Bay coastline. Most Jamaicans would know it as that beautiful piece of beach that you see as you come out of the Junction heading east to Portland,” he said.  “What’s not known, and persons from Annotto Bay will tell you, is that that landscape has changed significantly over the last couple of decades, especially more so as we bear the impacts of global warming, climate change and sea-level rise.”

Sweeney said the project, to be executed under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), is slated for completion in June.

“This project will actually allow for specific engineering structures to be put in place that will retain the sand. It will protect the coastline from storm events, not just the day-to-day waves but it will also protect the coastline from storm events by installing specific scouring structures; the beach itself will be raised 1.5 metres. The final product will raise the reach [approximately] six feet above sea level,” he outlined.

The Managing Director underscored that the project, like all others undertaken by JSIF, will have a community focus.

“While the coastline is severely at risk, one of the things we want to ensure in our involvement is that we don’t take away the beach from the residents. More than 5,500 residents have access to and use this beach directly in Annotto Bay and, of course, other Jamaicans,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Dunn said the investment is critical, noting that the people of Annotto Bay are grateful for the work that will be undertaken.

“The project is important in so many ways because we need to protect lives and properties. I am very pleased with the level of investments that the Government is investing in Annotto Bay,” he said.