'We have heard the frustration' - Gov't announces phase two of road rehab programme

Works Minister Robert Nesta Morgan says the Government has heard the public's frustration over deteriorating road conditions and is responding with a $1.4-billion second phase of the GO Road Rehab Programme. 

"We have heard the call from the public. We understand the frustration of road users, and we accept that many Jamaicans are facing difficult daily commutes because of the condition of some of our main roads," Morgan said in a statement issued Monday.

Residents of St Elizabeth blocked the main road from Lacovia to Haughton on Monday as they protest about the road conditions. There are also reports of taxi operators withdrawing their services in Frankfield and Spalding over the road conditions linking the two Clarendon towns. The Opposition People's National Party has also been critical of the repair efforts. 

The second phase of the GO Road programme will target heavily trafficked corridors critical to public transportation, commerce, emergency access, tourism, and daily movement, the statement said. 

Works will include targeted patching, resurfacing, drainage interventions, and other road improvement activities based on technical assessments by the National Works Agency, which will lead implementation.

Priority will be given to roads with high traffic volumes, significant surface deterioration, and strategic importance to communities and the economy.

Morgan attributed the widespread road deterioration to prolonged and intense rainfall and the lingering impact of Hurricane Melissa, which he said exposed vulnerabilities in an already-pressured road network.

"Many of our roads were already vulnerable, and Hurricane Melissa further exposed those weaknesses. We have also had above-average rainfall across much of the island over the last six months. That is why the Government has had to combine emergency rehabilitation, targeted resurfacing, drainage interventions, and larger-scale road works," he said.

The programme forms part of the government's broader road improvement strategy, which also includes the SPARK initiative and the Accelerated Bridge Programme.

The National Works Agency is expected to provide updates as works are scheduled and executed.

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