Seacastles To Mammee Bay Roadway To Be Upgraded

The National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) has commenced the project-planning exercise to upgrade approximately 60 kilometres of roadway from Seacastles in St. James to Mammee Bay in St. Ann.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the upgrading work will see expansion of the roadway from two to four lanes, with a 21 kilometre four -lane bypass for the towns of Discovery Bay and Runaway Bay.

“We are expecting to complete the planning phase to progress to the public investment approval and procurement phases in time for construction in the next financial year,” he said.

The Prime Minister, who made the disclosure during his 2022/23 Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 17) said that funding for the project will be provided by the Government of Jamaica.

He noted that the increased traffic volumes along the North Coast Highway since its development in the 1990s now exceed the design capacity of the current roadway.

This increase, he said, is due to new housing and commercial establishments along the route.

“The highway, in some sections, functions more like a local road with many ingresses, egresses, crossings, and encroachments. This means that travel time and congestion on the roadway will be increased for road users. We have been hearing the complaints of the travelling public on this very important corridor,” he said.