THE Government of Jamaica is investing billions of dollars in improving the country’s road network, to ensure safe and efficient travel for all citizens, and create a platform for increased growth and development.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the objective is to create a more seamless and connected Jamaica.

By linking farmers to markets, workers to jobs, and residents to communities and vital services, roads are the critical infrastructure on which the economy thrives and are crucial to any development agenda.

Investment in upgrading roads and highways helps to enhance workforce productivity by reducing travel time, brings business and investments to communities, leading to the creation of jobs.

“The road network is the backbone of our economy, connecting businesses, industries and individuals across the length and breadth of the country,” says minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, noting that roads contribute some 4.8 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Preparations are under way to implement a $40-billion road improvement project to modernise more than 2,000 roads islandwide under the ‘Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network’ (SPARK) Programme.

The works will entail improving road surfaces and intersections along targeted urban corridors, installing localised drainage (culverts, etc), improving road safety through the construction of retaining walls and installation of guardrails, and installing pedestrian facilities at selected locations.

The corridors were selected based on traffic volume, the condition of the roads, safety factors such as reducing accidents or increasing emergency response times, cost, ease of implementation, and social impacts, such as increased access to services or decreased social cohesion.

The preliminary parish breakdown of expenditure is as follows: Kingston — $2 billion, St Andrew — $2.9 billion, St Catherine — $4.2 billion, St Thomas — $1.2 billion, Manchester — $1.257 billion, St Elizabeth — $1.5 billion, Clarendon — $4.087 billion, Portland — $1 billion, St Mary — $3.2 billion, St Ann — $3.2 billion, Hanover — $2.516 billion, St James — $2.2 billion, Trelawny — $1.8 billion, and Westmoreland — $2 billion.

Some of the roads to be rehabilitated include Mountain View Avenue, Old Hope Road, Molynes Road, Waltham Park Road, Constant Spring to Stony Hill; Caymanas to Twickenham Park, Spanish Town to Angels, Tamarind Farm to Naggo Head; Morant Crossing to Whitehall, Airy Mount to Hampton Court, Port Morant to Bath; Caledonia Road, Spur Tree to Gutters, Williamsfield to Greenvale via Bypass; and Luana to Black River to Scotts Cove, Malvern to Santa Cruz, and Luana to Sandy Ground.

Other roads are Free Town to Four Paths, Crooked River to Pennants Douce, Whitney Town to Four Paths; Hope Bay to Orange Bay, Orange Bay to Windsor Castle, Rio Grande to Hope Bay; Halifax Bridge to Lucky Hill, Lucky Hill to Goshen, Port Maria to Islington; Alexandria to Brown’s Town, Discovery Bay to Browns Town, Ocho Rios Township; Great River to Kew Bridge, Green Island to Negril, Lucea to Green Island; Adelphi to Kent, Barnett Street to Howard Cooke Boulevard, Flankers Old Road; Albert Town to Allsides, Duncans to Long Pond, Salt Marsh to Kent; and Negril to Parish Border, Ferris to George’s Plain, and Negril to Negril Lighthouse.

In addition to these road corridors, work is already advanced on the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), which includes the extension of the Toll Road from May Pen to Williamsfield (Part A) and Part B (ii, iii, and iv), which entails the roads leading into Portland from Kingston through S. Thomas.

The 28-kilometre stretch, from May Pen to Williamsfield is at 93 per cent and is on track for completion by the end of August 2023. Overall, the scope of the project includes the construction of approximately 23 kilometres of four-lane rural arterial divided highway from May Pen to Melrose Hill as well as the upgrade of approximately five kilometres of the existing Melrose Hill Bypass to a four-lane rural arterial divided highway.

An interchange in the vicinity of Clarendon Park, with a link road from the highway to the main road (A2), is also included.

After completion, the new alignment is expected to cut the current travelling time from May Pen to Williamsfield to approximately 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the east, the rehabilitation and resurfacing of 123.65 kilometres of existing roadway from Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley are broken down in 15 subproject packages, 10 of which are under way, are in various stages of completion and are expected to be completed in December 2023.

The final five packages are scheduled to commence in 2023/2024 and are expected to be completed in March 2025.