Work Is Progressing on SCHIP – Hunter

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Works Agency (NWA), E.G. Hunter, says work is progressing on the multibillion-dollar South Coast Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), despite the challenges being experienced.

Mr. Hunter was providing an update on the work being undertaken on sections of the project during yesterday’s (July 12) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

The project represents the largest integrated infrastructure programme of works to be undertaken in the country.

“We have had to implement the project in a very aggressive mode, and that in itself does have its consequences but we are confident in our position that the two/three years of discomfort and challenges that we face will shortly be supplanted by 50 years of enjoyment of the infrastructure that we are putting in, because that’s the lifespan of the infrastructure that we are putting in,” he said.

The project spans the parishes of St. Andrew, St. Thomas and Portland, and traverses the communities of Bull Bay, Mezgar Gardens, Albion, Yallahs, Morant Bay, Seaforth, Cedar Valley, Port Morant, Golden Grove, Hector’s River, Boston and Port Antonio.

Mr. Hunter pointed out that the project has been subdivided into 16 components, with work being undertaken in 11 different locations.

The CEO said the work on the road from Harbour View to Yallahs in St. Thomas is to be completed by the end of August.

“Of the 11 packages that we are working on, the segment from Harbour View to Yallahs, that’s 7.4 kilometres, that segment is intended to be completed by the end of August, and that is your classic highway section. From Yallahs all the way to Port Antonio, we go back on the existing alignment and we are doing road improvement so the design and construction of that first segment is different from what we are doing from Yallahs into Port Antonio,” Mr. Hunter said.

“It is my understanding that the Government’s intention is to progressively build out the remainder of the highway component until we get to Port Antonio, because that is already designed, but because of budgetary consideration, we are just doing Harbour View to Yallahs as phase one and that will continue to be done progressively,” he added.

Mr. Hunter said that management decisions have been taken to address the problems that have been experienced along sections of the project and to minimise the discomfort being experienced by residents and the commuting public.

He noted that some of the challenges experienced included the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, land acquisition, relocation of utilities from the major service providers, dust nuisance, the shortage of skilled labour, and the use of the road by commuters while work is taking place.

Mr. Hunter informed that the final five segments of the project will be undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), which is the main contractor on the project.

“The Government has already signed off on that and CHEC will be doing that five themselves, and so all the lessons that we have learned from this portion of the project will be used to influence our modus operandi in the segments to come,” he said.

Mr. Hunter informed that the project is being implemented in full compliance of all the fiduciary responsibilities.

“In terms of the execution of the project, we are in full compliance with First-World standards. Now, do we have some problems – yes, we do; are there some things that we could have done better, certainly there is; and have there been lessons that we learned – definitely so,” he said.

Major work along the approximately 141km corridor include excavation and filling of approximately 1.6 million cubic metres (110,000 truckloads) of material, and the placing of 500,000 cubic metres of base course material and 1.5 million square metres of asphalt paving.

It also includes the installation of approximately 260 kilometres of water and sewer lines, the construction of nine new bridges along the corridor, construction of 44 box culverts, construction of approximately 14 kilometres of retaining walls with a maximum height of 12 metres, among other specifications.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, this week announced that Mr. Hunter would directly supervise the project to ensure its timely completion.

“What it means in reality is that as we get closer to the various deadlines that we have set, we have to increase and improve our vigilance… . What we will do is to ensure that the contractor performs the work in accordance with the contract and to the specification in the contract,” he said.

He said, too, that CHEC has given a commitment to play a more aggressive role. “CHEC’s relationship with their subcontractors is something that we have also worked on because at the end of the day, we will not succeed unless all the parties to this contract are in unison,” he said.

The approximately US$400-million project is slated for completion in 2024. The SCHIP is being executed in three parts: Part A – May Pen to Williamsfield, 28 kilometres (km); Part B (ii) – Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge, 17.4km; and Part B (iii and iv) – Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley, 123.65km.