PORTLAND ROAD NETWORK TO BE REPAIRED STARTING MAY 2010

JSIF
Thursday, January 28, 2010  
   

A section of the roadway in the Moore Town, Portland to be rehabilitated
Come May 2010, repairs will begin on 3.6 km of roadway in the Moore Town and Cornwall Barracks district in rural Portland. The project which will cost over $44.5 million is being executed by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund with a grant from European Union Banana Support Programme funded by the European Union and the Government of Jamaica.

This is good news on the anniversary of last years tragic accident when 14 persons from the Rio Grande's farming community were killed after the truck in which they were journeying to market in Kingston, plunged into a ravine.

Scarlette Gillings, JSIF's Managing Director noted that, “The restoration of these roads will have a major impact on the community and JSIF is determined to repair more of the road network before there are anymore accidents”.

Vital road linkages between these two communities in the Upper Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Portland are in need of immediate renovation, as residents in the area have been facing difficult times, particularly as it relates to the condition of the main roads. For many years the roads leading to these communities have been in a serious state of disrepair.

The project will therefore involve the rehabilitation of the Moore Town road which is 1km (0.6 miles) in length and the Cornwall Barracks road which is 2.6 km (1.6 miles) in length. Upon completion the roads will facilitate increased access to social services, and possible increases in farm yields for the estimated 1200 residents of Moore Town and Cornwall Barracks.

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund has engaged the services of the National Works Agency (NWA) for formulation and supervision of the works, as this road falls directly under its jurisdiction.

The project will also include the strengthening of the maintenance mechanism within the community through an Organizational Strengthening/Social Services component. In addition, there will also be technical assistance given to farmers through an agricultural business management component.