Spanish Town Rd, no quick fix; a proper repair will require $60 million

WITH growing frustration over the appalling state of Spanish Town Road, the government has asked the National Works Agency (NWA) to carry out repair works on the rugged surface by January.

But the Administration recognizes that the work will provide only temporary relief, as a full and proper repair of this busy thoroughfare will require a very intensive capital project, estimated at $60 million.

According to Robert Morgan, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in charge of the works, the short-term works on the Spanish city road are being undertaken as the government seeks to embark on a more ambitious project. vast, which is not the case. a quick and easy solution that involves much more than just repairing the roadway.

“The Spanish Town Road problem is not just a road problem per se, it’s a sewer problem and it’s also a drainage problem,” Morgan explained at last week’s conference. Monday exchange with the Jamaica Observeradding that this will also require a more collaborative approach with the National Water Commission (NWC) and other stakeholders.

The announcement of temporary repairs, however, is no comfort to some motorists who travel the route almost daily.

One motorist, whose workplace is along this road, said the temporary work was short-sighted and would not solve the underlying problems.

“The uneven road surface is a major concern, not just the gigantic craters. Also, given the scale of the work to be done, how long will it last? This is a busy road for trucks and small motor vehicles, so if this road can’t get priority treatment, then which ones will? asked the annoyed motorist in an interview with the Sunday Observer.

Another motorist who uses the road daily as a short route to work said the infrastructure needed a complete overhaul.

“I’ve lost count of the potholes that have turned into craters and ditches, especially on the road leading to (downtown) Kingston. A permanent, not temporary, solution is needed for this route. Driving on Spanish Town Road is like trying to navigate an obstacle course: what was originally three lanes is now actually just one lane,” said the motorist, who chose not to be named.

“The road has deteriorated since the pipelines were laid a few years ago as it was never properly repaired afterwards. As you enter Spanish Town Road from Ferry to the intersection of Weymouth Drive it is the worst. The left lane is practically an expanse of ditches, forcing motorists to continually zigzag in and out of that lane and the middle lane in order to avoid the holes,” the motorist explained.

The pipelines he referred to were laid as part of a major $2.4 billion drinking water transmission project that began in November 2020 and was completed in July 2022. It involved the replacement of aging transmission mains that had become susceptible to rupture, negatively affecting the reliability of the water supply. to businesses and communities along the nearly 12-mile stretch.

Following the completion of the project, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the government decided to undertake the investment given that it had the capacity to deliver approximately 15 million gallons of water to Kingston and St Andrew.

The construction phase has frustrated motorists and residents, given the impact on traffic and water blockages. But now that the water problem is virtually resolved, the NWC is being blamed for the current deplorable state of the road.

Over the past week Monday exchange Morgan said the government had tried to address issues along the thoroughfare and had carried out work on the section closest to Six Miles.

“There has been work done, but it’s just a drop in the ocean; it requires much more,” he said, adding that the government is considering whether to place the project under the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement of Our Road Network (SPARK) program, or to treat it separately.

“It’s not just about the NWA, it’s about the National Water Commission, it’s about the plans for the new sewerage system,” he said.