HEAD of the National Works Agency (NWA) EG Hunter is pleading for patience and understanding from motorists who have dialled up the complaints about the inconvenience they are facing as the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) continues.

With the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) increasing its criticisms of the Andrew Holness Administration for what it claims is the “chaotic project implementation”, Hunter took to the lectern at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday to offer an explanation.

“This is not a road project,” declared Hunter as he rejected the notion that the work being done on the almost US$400-million project is substandard.

“Do we have some problems? Yes, we do. Are there some things that we could have done better? Certainly. Have there been lessons that we learnt? Definitely so,” said Hunter as he underscored that the SCHIP is an integrated infrastructure project that is being done.

Hunter noted that the project spans three parishes, St Andrew, St Thomas and Portland, and traverses the communities of Bull Bay, Mezgar Gardens, Albion, Yallahs, Morant Bay, Seaforth, Cedar Valley, Port Morant, Golden Grove, Hector’s River, Boston, and Port Antonio.

He noted that the roadway upgrade is intended to address major flooding and drainage issues, roadway widening, sidewalk and other safety features, including resilient and safer road network to stimulate development.

According to Hunter, major work items along the approximately 141km corridor include the excavation and filling of approximately 1.6 million cubic metres (110,000 truckloads) of material, the placing of 500,000 cubic metres (35,000 truckloads) of base course material and 1.5 million square metres of asphalt paving.

He further pointed out that the installation of approximately 260 kilometres of water and sewer lines, the construction of nine new bridges on the corridor and the construction of approximately 14 kilometres of retaining walls with a maximum height of 12 metres is also part of the project.

Hunter argued that the project has faced many challenges which the public is not aware of.

“Regrettably, the challenges and the impact of these challenges on the public tends to be what makes the news, and that is understandable. In our business we really don’t expect to get a pat on the back…we take our blows as we go along.

“But the COVID pandemic did have a significant impact on the project. There were areas in St Thomas that were quarantined, we couldn’t do any work there, so that had an impact,” said Hunter.

He also listed delays in land acquisition, issues in getting the Jamaica Public Service Company to relocate 1,059 poles which need to be moved, and the relocation of Flow’s international submarine link cable — which is the main source of Internet in the country — among the challenges which the project has faced.

Hunter told the media briefing that a shortage of skilled labour and the fact that the work is taking place on a roadway that remains heavily travelled, also slowed the project.

He said, while the project team has made efforts to limit the disruptions to the commuting public, greater efforts can and will be made to ensure the respect and comfort of the commuting public.

Hunter, who on Monday was mandated by the prime minister to assume direct supervision of the project, noted that the NWA does not have the power under the law to supervise the project.

“What it is that we will do is to ensure that the contractor performs the work in accordance with the contract and the specifications within the contract,” said Hunter as he vowed that every effort will be made to ensure that the work is completed by December.