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| Ricardo Makyn/Staff
Photographer- A bridge under construction midway the highway
in Portland. |
North Coast Highway set for December completion
Richard Morais, Hospitality Jamaica Writer
The new leg of the North Coast Highway, from Ocho Rios to Port
Antonio, should be completed by December, even though there are
serious concerns regarding its construction.
In a recent visit to the resort town, Hospitality Jamaica interviewed
Lieutenant Commander Floyd Patterson, mayor of Port Antonio, who
revealed the timetable. "The schedule is for November, but
Portland is a rainy parish, therefore December would be a good target."
He has concerns about some of the channels or culverts built to
lead away water. He said, "With the rains that this parish
is known to attract, these culverts appear small to take the volume
of the water." He stressed that these issues were being "thrashed
out at the governmental level".
concerns
Captain Jonathan Lamey, head of the Portland Environment Protection
Association (PEPA), has himself raised some concerns. He said the
sharp corners have made it difficult for large vehicles to negotiate
them and by extension are hampering production.
He added, "Because of the nature of the road, there is the
need for passing zones at regular intervals so as not to impede
the regular flow of traffic by slower-moving vehicles."
The captain argued that the areas under the bridges are too low,
allowing water to be collected which will become stagnant, resulting
in mosquito infestation. According to him, the highway is to be
built with camber (slope) so as not to cause water to settle on
it as this will break out into potholes with the constant pounding
of car and truck wheels.
He also warned that marl should not be used in its construction,
"as marl is soluble".
In response to the concerns, Stephen Shaw, corporate communications
manager at the National Works Agency, said marl was not a main component
of the construction, just an addition to the layers which go into
the final product.
Admitting that the bridges and culverts are under review, he said
some things were subject to change. He, however, noted that passing
zones were not part of the programme now, but has not ruled this
out in subsequent developments.
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