$100 million road rehabilitation for Portland
Published:Tuesday | May 3, 2022 | 2:14 PM
The National Works Agency (NWA) says work is to begin shortly on the main road from Zion Hill to Breastworks in Portland.
The NWA says the road is to be rehabilitated against the background of the billion-dollar effort now underway to modernise the stretch from Port Antonio to Boston.
Manager for Communication at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, says $100 million will be spent on the road from Zion Hill, through Sherwood Forest, Nonsuch and Breastworks.
The corridor is being rehabilitated in parts to facilitate traffic as a bypass for the works now taking place under the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) from Port Antonio to Boston.
On Monday, taxi and minibus operators blocked the main thoroughfare leading from Boston to Port Antonio in Portland to protest over poor road conditions.
READ: Protest by transport operators in Portland leaves dozens stranded
They complained that the situation is unbearable, stressing that this has been made worse by the ongoing road works being undertaken on the Portland leg of the highway project.
Shaw says that the NWA does recognise the challenges now being experienced by some commuters along the Port Antonio to Fairy Hill section of the corridor and is executing the $100 million project with a view to reducing delays.
The 17-kilometre stretch of roadway will undergo improvement including the cutting of overhanging trees, reconstruction in sections, patching, drain cleaning and the construction of a retaining wall.
Shaw says works on the main road will continue for four months and that motorists using the corridor during this period are advised to obey the instructions of flag persons and posted warning signs.
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