Dear Editor,

I write in response to the article titled ‘Concrete confusion’ carried on page 10 of the October 13, 2026 edition of the Jamaica Observer.

The article reported that members of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, having been advised by its technical officer “…have rejected what they see as a revision of plans to use reinforced concrete to surface the heavily trafficked Seaview Drive…” The article, inter alia, suggests that a flexible pavement was to be the final road layer under the revised plans to rehabilitate the corridor under the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Project.

The question, though, is: Why is it necessary to rebuild this section of road?

Seaview Drive has been deteriorating for years. Among the causes are poor drainage, rising sea levels that now puts high tide into the roadside drains, and the damage done by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. The road sits on the coast, directly behind a seawall, on flat ground with almost no fall for water to drain away.

Additionally, the water table is very high, and with sea level rising, high tide now backs up through the outfalls into the roadside drains more often and for longer periods. The covered drain is also broken, with cover slabs displaced and water standing in the channel, so the road base stays wet all year. A wet base cannot carry traffic: the asphalt breaks up, potholes form, and repairs do not last. Patching the surface again would lead to more failures. The base and the drainage must be rebuilt together.

The road is a main route into Lucea and carries an estimated 15,000 vehicles per day. Many of these are taxis, buses, and delivery vehicles.

What we will be building? It appears that the members at the monthly municipal corporation meeting were either ill-advised or failed to understand what they were told will be done under the revised works, which is being done as part of the $400,000,000 Sandy Bay to Lucea works under SPARK.

The revised work along Seaview Drive will not be of any less quality than first indicated by the National Works Agency (NWA). In fact, the scope of the work is greater than initially planned. Three Hundred and Ninety-Five metres of the road will be done, as against 200 metres that was originally planned. Under the contract, the contractor, China Harbour Engineering (CHEC) Limited, will be raising the road by 400 millimetres (16 inches) above the current height. Before doing so, however, the asbestos pipeline will be replaced; geotextile laid, graded base material put down, on top of which will be a stabilised concrete base. The final layer will be the roller- compacted concrete. This layer is not asphaltic concrete, which the members of the council might have been led to believe. Based on the design, as roller-compacted concrete has a rough finish, we will be applying a thin layer of asphalt in order to give a smooth finish.

It is important to note that roller- compacted concrete is not weakened by a wet subgrade or by salt, so the road will not fail the way the old one did.

The improved drainage features will include a new covered concrete drain built on the landward side, curb and gutter, V-drain, and installation of seven pipe culverts. These culverts will be equipped with non-return tide flaps on the seawall outfalls so seawater can no longer flow back onto the road.

The NWA is also very cognisant of the properties that are located close to Seaview Drive; therefore, every driveway, shop frontage, and footpath will be reinstated to the new road level with ramps or steps. These will be individually designed.

The agency recognises the importance of this corridor to the many interests in the parish of Hanover and beyond. It is for this reason we have planned the implementation of the works to include working at nights and ensuring that detours are maintained and in reasonable conditions.

Based on our schedule, the works in the space should be completed in January 2027. While we expect that there will be some impact on the travelling public, we will endeavour to minimise the same as we work for the betterment of Hanover and Jamaica.

I trust that you will give the same degree of prominence to my letter, as was given to the published article.

Stephen A Shaw

Manager, communication and customer services