$21 Million Allocated for Interest on Bogue Road Project

A sum of $21 million has been set aside for the Bogue Road Rehabilitation Project in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing.

This has been outlined in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

The project, which is being financed by the Government of Jamaica and the OPEC Fund for International Development,  seeks to enhance productivity by reducing the economic loss to the country when people are stranded in traffic, the high fuel consumption due to congestion and also the vehicle operating cost, due  to poor ride quality.

For this fiscal year, the target includes the provision of payment for interest accrued on outstanding sums.

Under the project, the initial targets envisaged include supporting the North Coast Highway Improvement Project, through the upgrading of the Bogue Road (6 km), thus reducing the current traffic congestion and improving the level of safety.

Up to March 2012, all works under the project had been completed.

The project, which started in October 2008 was slated for completion on July 2010 but was further extended to May 2011.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter