KINGSTON, Jamaica – The $2-billion emergency islandwide main road patching programme is now 80 per cent complete.

The programme has actively addressed the deteriorating roads caused by severe weather events, including Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Rafael.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for works, Robert Morgan, provided an update on the initiative during a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The work is being undertaken under the Government’s Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) programme.

The Government allocated an initial $3 billion under the programme, which was focused on community roads. Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, announced the provision of an additional $2 billion, which brought the total allocation to $5 billion.

Morgan told the Lower House that while the emergency patching programme is 80 per cent complete, the broader $3-billion repair initiative is progressing steadily, with Phase 1 constituency-based works at 72 per cent completion.

“Both phases are on track to be completed by June 2025,” the minister pointed out.

He added that the REACH programme “significantly relieved motorists and other road users and rehabilitated several of our main corridors”.

“We spent more on road works last year than at any other time in Jamaica’s history, the minister stressed.

Meanwhile, Morgan also informed that the National Works Agency (NWA) will spend $1.5 billion on road rehabilitation, through its quarterly patching programme, over the next three months.

–         JIS