Funding Identified for Southern Coastal Highway Project

Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies, says a source has been identified to provide funding of US$250 million to begin construction of the Southern Coastal Highway.

He said talks are now taking place between himself and the Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, to add the project to the budget.

“We have identified the source of financing, but we need to identify when this can be brought into the budget. We have no intention of keeping a significant investment like this off-budget,” Dr. Davies said.

He said speaking yesterday (May 21), at the signing of nine contracts to begin works under the major component of the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP), at his Maxfield offices in St. Andrew.

The project will improve the southern coastal corridors of the island, from Harbour View, Kingston to Port Antonio, Portland; and Negril, Westmoreland to Mandeville, Manchester.

It will be undertaken in segments, with section one to entail Harbour View to Port Antonio.

At the signing of the contract for the feasibility study in 2012, Minister Davies said “what we are aiming at doing is to provide a highway that is of similar standard to the North Coast Highway, which will open up a range of possibilities.”