St. Thomas Port to Serve As Mixed-Use Facility

The new port being proposed for St. Thomas will be developed as a mixed-use facility, which will provide backup to the Port of Kingston in the event of a major disaster.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said that the decision to pursue a multi-use development was prompted by a strategic reassessment of the project’s scope following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

“The development of a new port in St. Thomas has been discussed for some time. The original intent was to develop an aggregate export port to serve the growing demand for construction materials in regional markets such as Guyana and Suriname. Hurricane Melissa has fundamentally expanded our thinking,” he said.

Dr. Holness, who was making his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 19), noted that the category-five system “served as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of Jamaica’s southern coastline and the existential risk that a direct strike on Kingston would pose to the Port of Kingston and the nation’s ability to recover from any such disaster”.

“As a result, the Government will now not only develop an aggregate port for export but one with capacity for mixed usage, similar to Reynolds Pier in St. Ann,” he pointed out.

He noted that the St. Thomas port will drive economic growth and generate employment opportunities for residents of the parish.

Dr. Holness said that subject to detailed feasibility studies, the Port Authority of Jamaica has identified a potential site for the facility near Yallahs.

The location, he said, offers key advantages, including adequate coastal depth for vessel berthing, close proximity to established quarry operations, and access to the newly completed highway network.

The project forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to build resilience in critical infrastructure while expanding economic opportunities across Jamaica’s eastern parishes.