MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica— The National Water Commission (NWC) has advised motorists to prepare for traffic changes along the Elegant Corridor in Rose Hall, St James, as phase one of the Western Water Resilience Improvement Project gets under way.

Motorists travelling along the Elegant Corridor are currently navigating single-lane closures as construction crews advance work on the multi-phase project. Officials have indicated that a transition to two-lane closures is expected in the coming weeks.

“Jamaicans, just be patient with this project. There will be some disruptions but we will ensure that we communicate consistently and provide the necessary information in terms of the areas that will be affected. in terms of traffic flow. So make the necessary adjustments. But please bear with us as we seek to make lives better for all of you,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Wayne Robertson.

He addressed journalists following a media tour of the project site on Monday, July 6.

VINCI Construction is leading the execution of the project on the ground, where Project Manager, Pierre-Emmanuel Faivre, emphasised that the current arrangement represents the most practical and effective option available at this stage of the works.

He pointed out that members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have been providing daily assistance to help maintain steady traffic flow throughout the project works.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Wayne Robertson (centre), engages in discussion with (from left) Project Manager of VINCI Construction, Pierre-Emmanuel Faivre; Acting President of the National Water Commission (NWC), Kevin Kerr, and other stakeholders during a media tour of the Phase One site of the Western Water Resilience Project in Rose Hall, St. James, on Monday (JIS photo).

According to Faivre, residents and business operators along the corridor can anticipate the completion of works between Greenwood and Montego Bay within 24 months, by the summer of 2028. The second leg of the project is scheduled for completion in October 2028.

“We are installing a new pipeline that will take months. So there will be no disruption to the existing water supply until the new main is ready to be fully tested, sterilised, and ready to be connected to the existing networks,” he explained.

Meanwhile, NWC Acting President, Kevin Kerr, provided an update on the broader scope of the project, which is being executed in four phases.

Phase One carries an investment of more than €150 million, while the overall four-phase programme is projected to exceed US$450 million in total cost.

Kerr explained that Phase One, now under way, involves replacing the transmission line that extends from the Martha Brae Water Treatment Plant in Falmouth to the terminal reservoir in Montego Bay.

The plant currently produces 11 million gallons of water daily, and the new line is being engineered to accommodate both this existing capacity and future expanded output.

Kerr added that another component of Phase One involves extending the transmission line between Lucea in Hanover and Negril in Westmoreland, building on a 500 millimetre pipeline.

He further explained that under phase two, the Martha Brae Water Treatment Plant will be expanded from 11 million gallons per day to 20 million gallons per day, while the Great River Water Treatment Plant will also be upgraded, increasing its production capacity from 15 million gallons to 20 million gallons daily.

The works will include reconstructing and expanding the intake structure at Great River and designing a new transmission route to accommodate the increased capacity.

Kerr advised that Phase Three will see the construction of a new water treatment plant in Roaring River, Westmoreland, along with a transmission pipeline into Negril.

He emphasised that this development will firmly embed the principle of resilience within the initiative, ensuring reliable water supply from Westmoreland all the way through to St Ann.

“The fourth phase of the project is the new Rio Bueno Water Treatment Plant, which is a 10-million-gallon-per-day [facility] on the border of St Ann and Trelawny to supply water east and west of that side of the island,” Kerr added.

-JIS