$3.54 Billion Allocated to Northern Jamaica Development Project

A sum of $3.54 billion has been allocated to the Northern Jamaica Development Project in the Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, to improve the infrastructure in tourism centres on the northern coast of Jamaica.
This is contained in the 2007/08 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives.The targets set for the 2007/08 financial year under Segment 1 of the project, which extends from Negril, Hanover to Montego Bay, St. James include 100 per cent resettlement of householders at Global Village in Hanover and the completion of payments for land acquisition.
Work under Segment 2A, from Montego Bay to Greenside in Trelawny, will involve the complete relocation of all utilities poles, the legal acquisition of land, and the completion of a two-lane highway.
Segment 2, which entails the segment from Greenside to Ocho Rios, St. Ann, will see the commencement of a pilot road maintenance programme and environmental mitigation project, the provision of payment for engineering consultancy, and making outstanding payments for works completed.
The Ocho Rios to Port Antonio route, which forms Segment 3 of the project, will be 50 per cent completed this financial year, and all outstanding payments made to landowners.
Achievements up to February include the construction of road surfaces in Segment 1, which is 100 per cent complete. The legal acquisition of land in Segment 2A is 98 per cent complete and the resettlement of persons directly affected by the project has been completed.
Approximately 70 kilometres of Segment 2 is complete and open to traffic, while poles belonging to the utility companies have been relocated.
In Segment 3, 100 per cent of utility poles have been relocated; 570 persons resettled; 25 per cent of civil works contract completed, and re-design and re-scoping works done.