Gov’t Preparing Estimates for Salt Marsh to Adelphi Road Network Rehabilitation
By: , January 22, 2024
Photo: Okoye Henry
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington (second right), is joined by his team from the Ministry, representatives of the National Works Agency (NWA) and other stakeholders as they assess the condition of the road network between Salt Marsh in Trelawny and Adelphi in St. James during a tour on Thursday (January 18).
Photo: Okoye Henry
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington (second left), along with (from left) National Works Agency (NWA) Western Regional Manager, Robert Francis, and Parish Manager for St. James, Wayne Cover, and other stakeholders assess a blocked drain along the road network between Salt Marsh in Trelawny and Adelphi in St. James during a tour on Thursday (January 18).The Full Story
The Government is now preparing estimates to initiate rehabilitation projects for the road network between Salt Marsh in Trelawny and Adelphi in St. James, with the aim of enhancing connectivity between the parishes.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington, toured the roadway on Thursday (January 18), where he outlined details of the upcoming projects.
“We could not address Kent to Adelphi in St. James without looking at Salt Marsh to Kent in Trelawny. So, we looked at both [hence the one road network],” he stated.
Mr. Warmington revealed that Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, instructed him to assess the situation and identify viable solutions to address the crucial infrastructure issues.
He said efforts by the Ministry’s team, in collaboration with the National Works Agency (NWA) and other stakeholder partners, are now focused on preparing estimates for the two critical adjoining roadways.
Mr. Warmington indicated that the design for the Salt Marsh to Kent segment, in particular, will need significant drainage and a specially designed base for the road.
“We will design the Salt Marsh to Kent [road] where you have those quarries to have an extra layer of asphalt on it and not the regular one either. It will probably need up to four inches of asphalt on it. So, the team will prepare an estimate for that [Salt Marsh to Kent] section, and also an estimate from Kent to Adelphi,” he outlined.
Mr. Warmington emphasised the urgency of receiving the estimates promptly to ensure they are included in the upcoming budget, adding that the Government will otherwise have to take it up next year under the ‘Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network’ (SPARK) Programme.
Meanwhile, the Minister is maintaining that there is a greater need for a proactive approach to road maintenance, not just in St. James and Trelawny but across the country.