ST THOMAS, Jamaica— Work should begin this weekend on a section of the Yallahs, St Thomas leg of the newly built South Coast Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) which has been cordoned off due to damage and breakaways on the roadway.

Robert Morgan, Minister without Portfolio in the office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for works made the announcement during a tour of the damaged road on Friday.

He said the damage, which has occurred in about 25 per cent (1.6 kilometre) of the four-kilometre stretch of road between Salt Pond and Pamphret in the parish, was caused by low quality material which was used when the road was being built.

“What has happened is the base has been compromised. The quality of the material that was used to compact the base was not of the quality that we would expect so in parts of the road you see where that damage is now being manifested because of the weight of vehicles and also exacerbated by Hurricane Beryl,” Morgan told reporters.

When asked if the quality of the material was not checked ahead of the road being built and opened for use, he responded that quality testing was done at the quarry the material was taken from but it is apparent that the material tested was different from what was used.

“There would have been lab tests on the quarry that is in the vicinity but what seems to have happened is that they would have probably took material from a vein within the quarry that was not of the quality that was tested,” Morgan disclosed.

He went on to assure the public however, that there is a liability period which will result in the contractors of the roadway, China Harbour Engineering Company, completing the repairs at no additional cost to Jamaicans.

“But the good thing about it is that under the South Coast Highway Improvement Project you have a two-year defects liability period which means after the road is handed over the contractor, which is China Harbour, is obligated for whatever damage or whatever failure takes place on the road for a two-year period to repair that. But even before the package is handed over which should probably be in about March next year, they are obligated to fix this,” Morgan said.

He added that the prime minister has already given instructions to have the damaged roadway repaired, and that should begin this weekend.