Heavy duty vehicles at work on Phase two of the North Coast Highway Project in Duncans Trelawny. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer WESTERN BUREAU:
THE PAVING of Segment One of the long-awaited North Coast Highway is finally complete, nearly three years after its initial deadline. The final paving of a section of the road in Lucea, done just last week, signalled the end of the project, after US$48 million was spent almost twice the original budget. The 71.5 kilometre highway, which began in September 1997, was supposed to have been completed by September 1999, within a US$25 million budget.
Attempts to ascertain when the road would be officially opened were unsuccessful, as neither officials at the National Works Agency (NWA) nor the Northern Jamaica Development Projects could be reached. Workmen erecting guard rails were the only sign of work observed, when The Gleaner made checks on the highway earlier this week.
Segment One of the North Coast Highway, which is expected to cut travel time between the resort towns of Negril and Montego Bay by half, has been plagued with problems since its inception.
STOPPAGES
Work stoppages and problems with the contractors forced several deadlines to be abandoned. Work on the highway was suspended in April 2000, when the South Korean contractors, Bosung Engineering, ran into financial difficulties. At that time, the highway was only 55 per cent complete. The project resumed in September that year, after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Bosung and the Jamaican Government. By then, it was clear that the new deadline set for December 31, 2000 would not be realised.
December 31, 2001 was set as the new deadline, but this, too, proved to be an unachievable target. Deadlines set for March 31, April 30, and May 31 this year were also missed.
