Starting this week, the National Works Agency (NWA), through the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) will be undertaking a major effort aimed arresting some of deteriorating road conditions across the island. Through the JEEP, the NWA has been allocated 785 million dollars to undertake patching activities over the next three months.
State Minister for Works in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Richard Azan says that over the next 12 weeks some 284 thousand square metres of roads will be targeted under this JEEP initiative.
Minister Azan says that the services of five construction companies have been engaged to execute the works, which are expected to boost the levels of employment and improve the driving experiences of persons.
He says that in order to efficiently execute the works, the parishes have been grouped into packages that each company will give dedicated focus.
Just under 30 thousand square metres of roads will be targeted in St. Thomas. Alcar Construction will undertake these works. The parishes of Kingston, Hanover, Westmoreland and St. James will have some 58 thousand square metres of patching undertaken by Surrey Paving and Aggregates Limited. Asphalting Concrete Enterprise will focus on the parishes of St. Andrew, St. Catherine and Clarendon, where just under 72 thousand square metres of roads will be targeted. Some 83 thousand square metres of roads are to be targeted in Manchester, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann and Trelawny and is to be done by S and G Surfacing and Materials Limited. Approximately 44 thousand square metres of patching will be done in the parishes of St. Mary and Portland by Pavement and Structures Limited.
Among the major corridors to be targeted are the Bull Bay to Grants Pen road in St. Thomas, the Junction road in St. Mary, the Nolan Hill to Border main road and the Mandela Highway in St. Andrew, as well as the Black River to Pedro Cross road in St. Elizabeth.
In the meantime, Minister Azan says that the work to be undertaken through the JEEP will complement another programme that is being executed by the NWA as part of this years’ Budget for road maintenance.
Approximately 700 million dollars is to be expended this financial year under this programme for patching and routine maintenance activities such as bushing and cleaning of drains.
