Gov’t to Upgrade Drax Hall-Mammee Bay Corridor in St. Ann

Major upgrades are set for the Drax Hall to Mammee Bay corridor in St. Ann, as the Government works to ease traffic congestion and strengthen one of Jamaica’s fastest-growing commercial hubs.

Addressing the St. Ann Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay on Sunday (March 29), Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, noted that the roadway has grown into a major hub of economic activity but is now straining under the weight of its own success.

He further highlighted that what was once a vital coastal route for commerce has now become a bottleneck, draining businesses of valuable time and money each day.

Against this background, Dr. Holness announced: “We have a special plan already commissioned as it relates to Drax Hall and Mammee Bay.”

He outlined that feasibility studies are under way for a major extension of the North-South Highway, branching from a new grade-separated interchange near Mammee Bay and extending westward to Discovery Bay in St. Ann, and eastward to Tower Isle in St. Mary.

The Prime Minister explained that the eastern leg will serve as a bypass for Ocho Rios, diverting traffic away from the congested town centre and reducing journey times along the north coast.

“Strategically, it will give Ocho Rios the opportunity to be reorganised, to be decluttered because, right now, everything is taking place there. All the back operations take place there, your front store operation takes place, your market, everything… and if it stays like that, it is going to collapse onto itself,” Dr. Holness explained.

He added: “We have to do the strategic things to rescue Ocho Rios but also to strategically allow for the development of Drax Hall into a modern urban space.”

Dr. Holness indicated that once the highway extension reaches an advanced stage, the Government will move to upgrade and dualise sections of the existing North Coast Highway from Montego Bay to Drax Hall, guided by traffic demands and safety considerations.

He explained that under the plan, the Drax Hall roadway will be transformed into a boulevard, designed to improve traffic flow while providing easier access to businesses and developments along the corridor.

“So you will get a proper boulevard, plus you will get a proper bypass. It’s also the opportunity to restructure and declutter the town, and return Ocho Rios to a charming tourism town,” Prime Minister Holness underscored.