Angels Toll Plaza to Be Expanded with Three Additional Lanes for Improved Traffic Flow

The Angels Toll Plaza in St. Catherine is set to be expanded with three additional lanes for improved traffic flow, Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced.

He made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 20).

Dr. Holness noted that prolonged wait times at toll plazas can lead to costly delays, cause frustration and negatively impact the nation’s overall productivity.

“The Angels Toll Plaza is one of the busiest on our network, and I am pleased to announce that three lanes will be added. We are very advanced with the engineering designs for those,” he said.

The Prime Minister informed that a longer-term more transformative change will be the introduction of open road tolling, a state-of-the-art system that allows vehicles to be charged electronically without having to stop at a toll booth.

“This system is widely used across the world and has proven to be faster, more efficient and more convenient. The Montego Bay Perimeter Road will serve as the pilot project for this initiative,” Dr. Holness further indicated.

The Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project includes the Montego Bay Bypass, the Long Hill Bypass and critical upgrades to Barnett Street and West Green Avenue.

The Prime Minister said residents in the Long Hill area would have noticed that clearing works have commenced, adding that the initial concept of the Long Hill Bypass considered a two-lane roadway.

“However, the Government has taken a strategic decision to expand the roadway to four lanes. Additionally, works on the Montego Bay Bypass are progressing rapidly with earthworks at a very advanced stage, and the Montego River Bridge is now 95 per cent complete.

“As of today, the overall project stands at approximately 55 per cent complete. Once finished, this network of roads will significantly ease the longstanding traffic challenges in Montego Bay and open up new areas for development, fostering greater investment and economic activity,” he informed.

Meanwhile, Dr. Holness said Jamaica’s North Coast is booming, noting that Mammee Bay has emerged as a new urban corridor between Ocho Rios and St. Ann’s Bay.

He pointed out that this is also a critical tourism corridor and has emerged as an area for residential communities.

The Prime Minister said the corridor, which is supposed to be part of the North Coast Highway, is now effectively serving as the main boulevard to a town, with several ingress and egress from local roads.

The roadway now handles traffic coming to and from the North-South toll road, traffic moving between Ocho Rios and St. Anns Bay, and local traffic flowing in the vicinity of various businesses and residences along that stretch.

“This has created a significant traffic hazard for residents and commuters which will stifle the natural development energy of this area. This situation would be further complicated if we should proceed to widen and improve the existing roadway without having an alternative in place, as there are no other viable alternatives,” Dr. Holness said.

“We have learned our lessons from the South Coast Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), which created significant dislocation to residents and motorists as we fixed the road while using it. The dislocation and risks to residents, businesses and the Government would be far more costly in this case,” he added.

The Prime Minister noted that while the Administration is currently engaged in the North Coast Highway Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project to design and buildout the upgrades, particularly the Mammee Bay section of the road, a decision has been made to also pursue the extension of the North-South Toll Road.

This will begin with a clover-leaf interchange at Mammee Bay, extending westward to Discovery Bay (Phase 1A) and eastward to Prospect, St. Mary (Phase 1B).

The project is estimated to cost approximately US$350 million.

Dr. Holness said given the urgency of the development and the dislocation risks involved in upgrading the existing roadway, the Government will take steps to designate the North-South Highway Extension as a National Development Project.