Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Clifford E. Warmington says he is pleased with the work being done on the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC).

Speaking today, (Thursday, May 11, 2023), during a tour of the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of the SCHIP, Part A, which is being managed by the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), Minister Warmington noted that work on the project is 94 percent complete with completion expected by August 2023.

Work on this section of the highway involves the construction of approximately 23 kilometers of a four-lane divided arterial highway from May Pen to Melrose Hill, and the upgrading of approximately 5 kilometers of the existing Melrose Bypass to a four-lane rural arterial divided highway. There will also be an interchange in the vicinity of Clarendon Park with a link road from the highway to the main road.

Meanwhile, Minister Warmington stated that this section of the project is a stark contrast to the Harbour View to Port Antonio leg of the project.

“China Harbour totally controls the construction work here while in the other section, we divided the project between China Harbour and the local contractors,” the Minister noted.

Minister Warmington explained that the National Works Agency is merely the engineer on the project.

“The National Works Agency is the engineer representing the Government of Jamaica. The National Works Agency is not involved in the actual supervision or construction of the project…the obligation is between China Harbour and the local contractors in that section of the highway, so you can’t blame the National Works Agency because the National Works Agency cannot give instructions to the local contractors. They are subcontracted to China Harbour”, explained Minister Warmington.

Residents along the more than 20-kilometer stretch of road between Harbour View and Yallahs have complained about the dust nuisance, access to properties, and the condition of the driving surface, associated with that section of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project project.

The Government intends to complete 10 of the 15 packages that form the local component of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Programme (SCHIP), with the remaining five packages to be awarded during this fiscal year.

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