PORTLAND, Jamaica— Construction of the Port Antonio bypass will begin this fiscal year following Cabinet approval for the project, according to the National Works Agency (NWA).

As part of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), the bypass is expected to reduce congestion, improve safety, and unlock opportunities for urban expansion and tourism development in Port Antonio, while mitigating the impacts of coastal erosion and flooding.

The government says it will spend J$521.5 million to buy 205 parcels of land to facilitate the construction.

“The Port Antonio bypass marks a bold step forward in our mission to modernise Jamaica’s infrastructure. It will not only relieve traffic in the town but also open the door to greater investment, safer travel, and a more climate-resilient Portland,” said Robert Morgan, minister with responsibility for works.

The NWA indicated that Cabinet approved a variation to the existing SCHIP contract, valued at US$81 million, to facilitate phase one of the bypass, which will stretch approximately seven kilometers from Norwich to Turtle Crawl Harbour.

The project will be executed by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC), with implementation oversight by the NWA and will take 24 months to complete.