The National Road Operating & Constructing Company (NROCC) is advising that the new May Pen to Williamsfield leg of the Highway Network will be open to public access today at 4:00 pm.

Motorists are being reminded to obey the posted signs and to drive safely. There is now an official opening ceremony being held for the new leg of the highway, which starts from the Rio Minho Bridge in Clarendon going all the way into Williamsfield, Manchester.

The ceremony started at 10:00 this morning. Opening of the US$188-million, 28 kilometres of four-lane rural arterial divided highway from May Pen to Melrose Hill, Mancheste,r as well as the upgrade of approximately five kilometres of the existing Melrose Hill Bypass to a four-lane rural arterial divided highway, was to have taken place last month but pushed back for another month. 

Cut travelling time

In fact, the project has been delayed having originally scheduled to be completed over a three-year period from design stage in 2019 to October 2022, but the work has dragged on into this month.

Dubbed the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) Part A – May Pen to Williamsfield should see the driving time from Kingston to Williamsfield cut to about 40 minutes. After completion, the new alignment from May Pen to Williamsfield, this is expected to cut the current travelling time from May Pen to Williamsfield to approximately 15 minutes.  

At the beginning of the highway is the largest four-lane bridge in Jamaica, which was constructed “higher and wider” to better prevent the water level reaching the underside decking during major rain events.