$45 billion SPARK project to start mid-December, says Holness
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The first phase of the much-touted $45 billion Shared Prosperity Through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) project is set to get underway by mid-December.
Slated to run over three financial years, the initiative will address at least 60 main roads and 600 priority roads across all 63 constituencies.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced the start date in a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. He said $40 billion of the amount will be spent for road improvement with an additional $5 billion to be expended for the laying of water pipes.
The prime minister emphasised that the $45 billion is the largest ever investment in Jamaica’s road and water infrastructure.
“Under this project, 60 main roads, and approximately 600 priority roads across 63 constituencies have been identified, demonstrating our commitment to developing our infrastructure nationwide, but in an equitable way,” he said.
He told the House that “Cabinet approval has been given for the project and we expect to start in the first half of December”.
“There are many steps that have to be taken for such a programme to be effective…the SPARK programme is not a patching programme,” Holness emphasised. He pleaded with Jamaicans who are frustrated about the poor state of the roads, with some resorting to protest action, to exercise a little more patience.
He also once more pointed the finger of blame at the Opposition People’s National Party for not maintaining the road network during its time in office. This led to push back from members of the parliamentary Opposition who reminded the prime minister that his party has formed the government for nearly 13 of the 17 years since 2007 when the PNP lost a general election for the first time in 18-and-a-half years.
About the project, the prime minister said “this is not about the highways or building new bridges, this is about investing in our local and community roads. In other words, this is the investment that will impact the lives of the ordinary Jamaicans – the road that pass your gate”.
