CHEC to receive weekly reports from highway sub-contractors

Disgruntled residents along the St Thomas leg of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project, who have been demonstrating over the slow pace of the road work and poor road conditions, have won a minor victory.

The residents, along with Dr Michelle Charles, the member of parliament for Eastern St Thomas, have been calling for the sub-contractors to be sacked for their poor handing of the road work and the work turned over to the main contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

However, while the subcontractors have not been dismissed, a new system has now been implemented in which CHEC will receive strict milestone-based reports from the sub-contractors on the project every week. This is a minor victory for the residents and the MP as they agitate about the delays and the road being left in a deplorable condition, causing damage to vehicles and inconvenience to pedestrians.

The announcement about the requirement for the weekly report was made by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, who was speaking with journalists during a tour of St Thomas Western on Wednesday (November 2).

Minister acknowledging resident’s concerns

Noting the concerns of residents regarding the pace of the work, Warmington pointed to the many intricacies of the project, saying the Government had recognised the need to implement an extensive drainage system, water lines, sewer lines and fibre-optic cables, along the road network.

According to him, “the sub-contractors have to complete a particular scope or amount of work that is set for them. If it is not [done], there are other considerations that will be taken. They have a strict schedule that they have to meet and this is why we are confident that we’ll have the project completed, if not on time, very close to the timeline”.

In an attempt to appease the disgruntled residents, Warmington added: “So [in the] future, you don’t have to come back and cut up the place and dig up again. We do one dig.”

He appealed to the residents to be patient with all parties concerned with the highway project, noting that most of the sub-projects are close to completion, such as Hordley to Long Road in Portland, which is 89 per cent complete and should reach full completion this month.

In addition, most of the other roads are slated to be completed in March 2023.

The South Coast Highway Project, the Government’s flagship road project, being executed in three parts: Part A – May Pen to Williamsfield – 28 kilometres (km); Part B (ii) – Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge – 17.4km; and Part B (iii and iv) – Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley – 123.65km.

The project seeks to improve the capacity and alignment of the existing southern coastal main arterial road, to make it safe, efficient, free from flooding and allowing for future development.