More traffic headache coming for motorists in Liguanea
NWC sewage fix could lead to delays on Old Hope Road but Samuda promises steps will be taken to speed up work
MOTORISTS in the Liguanea area of St Andrew should brace for major traffic disruptions this summer as the National Water Commission (NWC) undertakes the renovation of sewage infrastructure along Old Hope Road
Speaking during a recent meeting of the Jamaica Observer Press Club at the newspaper’s headquarters in St Andrew, Minister of Water Matthew Samuda said the work forms part of the Government’s ongoing programme to strengthen resilience through upgrading the county’s water and sewage network.
He explained that work on Munroe Road and Wellington Drive, which led to traffic snarls in the area for weeks, is now complete, allowing work to begin on the stretch of Old Hope Road that runs through Liguanea, Matilda’s Corner, and Seymour Avenue.
Samuda told Observer editors and reporters that work along that corridor was deliberately postponed to avoid disrupting students travelling to sit their various examinations.
“We didn’t start last month because we didn’t want to run the risk of a child being stuck in traffic trying to get to their PEP [Primary Exit Profile] exams at St Peter and Paul, or a child trying to get to Campion to do their CXC [Caribbean Examination Council] exams along that particular space. We expect to start in the coming week or so,” said the minister.
Minister of Water Matthew Samuda promising to fix the sewage problem facing the Corporate Area, during a meeting of the Jamaica Observer Press Club last Friday. (Naphtali Junior)
While disruptions are expected, Samuda noted that all works are being done in accordance with the traffic management plan, with construction taking place at night and on weekends to complete the project in a timely manner and lessen the impact it will have on those who traverse the route regularly.
“We had to start it during the summer to ease the impact. Now the first question is: Will there be work at night? Yes. Will we be working on the weekends? Yes. So we will be doing everything possible, within our contracted arrangement, to move the work as fast as is possible. In fact, sections of the road that don’t have to be disturbed and can be done through lateral drilling, that will also be used at the sections where the sidewalk belongs,” said Samuda.
“So yes, there will be some disturbance, yes there will be impact on traffic, but we have learnt the lessons from Wellington which is that…obviously, flagmen have to be out pretty much all day in terms of guiding traffic, not just when work is under way. We have also made arrangements to ensure that you’re able to run, in some cases, full 24-hour shifts across three shifts, you know, meeting at different times to do the work,” added Samuda.
The work forms part of the Government’s $1.4-billion programme to lay sewer lines along Monroe Road, Retreat Avenue, Seymour Avenue, and Old Hope Road.
In April, during a tour of the Munroe Road section of the project, Samuda told journalists that the work was on schedule, with the current phases expected to end by September, or shortly thereafter, as was projected when ground was broken in May 2025.
“That doesn’t mean that between now and September there will not be some discomfort and some pain, quite frankly, but so far we are progressing as well as possible based on the scale of the infrastructure that we are putting in,” said Samuda as he pointed out that the project includes a complete re-run of the water and sewage distribution systems in the area.
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Samuda acknowledged that the Corporate Area’s sewerage infrastructure has suffered from years of underinvestment and was failing under pressure as populations continue to grow while the pipes continue to age.
During the launch of the project last year Samuda emphasised its environmental benefits as he noted that outdated sewerage systems have impacted underground wells in the area.
“There are wells and water sources within this general area that we are not currently able to access because of high nitrate content — and that is because of the environmental scourge that I call the backyard pit.”
He told the
Observer Press Club that the Andrew Holness-led Administration will be the one to remedy long-standing wastewater woes through continued repairs of the system.
“Certainly, I don’t want the phone calls September morning — that is indeed the hope. But I think we have to be realistic that our weather system, for instance, in August could delay any of that sort of work. But it [work along Old Hope Road] is not going to be carried longer than it needs to,” declared Samuda.
