GRANGE PEN, St James — Residents of Grange Pen are excited over the $960-million Resort Squatter Settlements Upgrade Project now underway in their community which, among other things, will transform stone and dirt roads to asphalted thoroughfares.

Mavis Robinson, who has resided in Grange Pen for the past 16 years, recounted that prior to the project, “residents had to wash the red dirt off their feet because of the dirt track they had to walk on, before seeking transportation.”

“When we going downtown [Montego Bay], when we go down the road we had to wash our feet [to] how the dirt red. We have come a far way. I always said one day, one day…,” Robinson told the Jamaica Observer West.

Hotel worker Andrae Bailey, who has resided in the community for nearly three decades, expressed his joy to see the infrastructure improvement project, which he said has been in the pipeline for many years, finally coming to fruition.

“Finally! I feel good about the project. I have been living here for 26 years and I have always heard that the road infrastructure would be put in. We wholeheartedly welcome this project,” said an elated Bailey.

Another resident, who goes by the moniker “Townist”, was also appreciative of the infrastructure development, but he expressed concern that motorists are now speeding along the thoroughfares.

He recommended that the residents collectively put in speed bumps to deter speeding motorists.

“I welcome the upgrading of the road but my only concern is speeding along the roadway. We have a lot of children and we have a lot of children who ride bicycles and they always have pillion. The community members need to come together and build sleeping police on the roadways to prevent speeding,” the community member stated.

Shopkeeper Marva Tingling told the Observer West that her business has been enjoying “strong patronage” from the people employed on the project.

“The project has helped my business a lot because the construction workers shop here,” Tingling stated.

“It (the project) has already brought better roads and water supply that have been put in. So right now it is better for us.”

During his recent sectoral budget presentation, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who is also Member of Parliament for St James East Central, announced that the Tourism Enhancement Fund is partnering with the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) to improve the infrastructure for tourism workers currently residing in the informal settlement of Grange Pen in his constituency.

He said the total area being covered by the proposed development is 98 acres, which includes 535 residential lots, equivalent to approximately 8,000 square feet per lot.

The scope of the infrastructure project includes road construction and paving, drainage infrastructure, water supply and sewage connection to National Water Commission systems; electricity distribution and land titling.

“The project is currently in the construction phase and is approximately 67 per cent completed. To date, the following have been achieved: six of the 21 roads are 100 per cent completed with asphaltic concrete in place; one of the five footpaths is 100 per cent completed, sewer infrastructure has been completed on 16 roads/footpaths/easements; water supply infrastructure to include testing from NWC is completed on 16 roads/footpaths/easements,” Bartlett said during his recent contribution to the sectoral debate.

He added that “this transformational project will be completed in the 2022/23 financial year.”