Black River Seawall Repairs to Start June

MONTEGO BAY – Some $34 million has been identified for emergency repairs to a damaged section of the Black River seawall in St. Elizabeth.

Minister  of State in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan, who toured the area on Thursday (May 16) with a technical team from the National Works Agency (NWA), said the work is expected to get underway in June.

The project will entail replacing the collapsed seawall to protect the roadway from the sea.

“We have indentified the seriousness of the road. The Road Fund has indentified funding …and we hope that by sometime in June we can start the work. We are going to try and work very fast,” Mr. Azan said.

He stated that the project is being treated as an emergency as the road leads to the only hospital in the parish, a high school, and other crucial Government agencies.

“The students and pedestrians don’t have a sidewalk due to the collapse, so it is an emergency work that we will have to do. We are going to follow all the rules, but it has to be part of emergency,” he stated.

Mayor of Black River, Councillor Everton Fisher, and Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, Hugh Buchanan, who were on the tour, commended the Minister and the NWA team for responding to their requests for immediate work to rectify the damage to the seawall.

Mayor Fisher called on users of that section of the roadway to travel carefully and observe the NWA caution tapes at the site.

“We are hoping for the speedy completion of the work. We want to ask motorists, to travel safely, especially pedestrians. The NWA has put up tapes, and we hope that persons can identify them and walk carefully,” the Mayor said.

CONTACT: GARFIELD L. ANGUS
JIS REGIONAL OFFICE
MONTEGO BAY