MONTEGO BAY, St James — In a move rarely seen, the Government has announced that a major infrastructural project is slightly ahead of schedule.

During a tour of the US$374-million Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project on Wednesday, minister with responsibility for works Robert Morgan told journalists the work was 80 per cent complete and slightly ahead of the projected May 2026 finish line.

Morgan stressed that he was referencing the original Ironshore to Bogue leg of the project and not the section that was added later.

“The completion date for the perimeter with this section, not the Long Hill section — which is a new section — is May 2026, a little bit ahead of target as the contractors have been moving a little bit faster than we have predicted, which is a good thing. We like to come in under budget and ahead of target,” said the minister.

“The work that we have done on this road is a testament to the collaboration between China Harbour (CHEC), our local contractors; as well as the engineers — a lot of them who are from local companies; and the management of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited (NROCC). It’s an example of how we can build roads in the future,” he added.

He expressed satisfaction with the progress being made, and described it as “a good thing for the people of Jamaica”.

The perimeter road project includes the 15.1-kilometre Montego Bay Bypass, which now boasts the country’s longest bridge, as well as the West Green Avenue Upgrade which will replace roundabouts with traffic signals and widen the route that links two major thoroughfares.

The fourth sub-project, the Barnett Street Upgrade, will feature significant widening of the high-traffic corridor running from the West Green/Fairfield intersection to Cottage Road; rehabilitation of the road; as well as a new bridge over the Montego River. There will also be installation of water, sewage, and drainage infrastructure.

The project has been long-awaited and its completion is highly anticipated. It will be the first local road to feature open-road tolling, also known as free-flow tolling, so there will be no need for toll booths.

Salt Spring residents have started using a bridge in their community and during Wednesday’s tour, Morgan said they would be allowed to continue to do so.

“There are sections… in Salt Spring where persons are able to use the bridge. We have allowed them to use the bridge — not the road, but the bridge. Because we found that giving them the opportunity to use the bridge would ease their plight significantly,” he explained.

Member of Parliament for St James Central Heroy Clarke, who formed a part of the touring party along with representatives of NROCC and China CHEC, also stressed the ease that the bridge had been providing for motorists.

Morgan noted that while sections of the highway may be opened once there is completion of the current phase — application of the top layer of the roadway that allows for future maintenance — such decisions will be guided strictly by safety considerations.

The minister pointed out that railings and other safety features are currently being installed to ensure motorists can use the roadway safely when it becomes operational. He emphasised that the site remains an active construction zone and that opening the road prematurely could put lives at risk.

“When the time is appropriate, and when we feel that we have put in the necessary safety measures and the paving has been done in a particular way, we will definitely announce that we’re opening a section of the road to the motoring public,” Morgan promised.

“The timeline [for the first phase] is dependent on our ability to put in the necessary measures. For example, we do not build the railings in Jamaica, so we have to depend on our international partners who are making the railings; and also shipping timelines and customs timelines and so on. So I don’t want to predict it but I can say to you, as soon as we’re confident that…the road is secure, we will make an announcement as to it. I don’t suspect it will be very long, but I will not give it a specific date,” added Morgan.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development Robert Morgan (right) in coversation with a representative of CHEC during a tour of the US$374-million Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project on Wednesday.