By Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE GOVERNMENT will spend more than $700 million over the next 20 months to dualise the Howard Cooke Highway in Montego Bay, St. James.
Targeting the increased traffic congestion in the second city created by the influx of motor vehicles, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who broke ground for the project yesterday, said his administration was determined to find a solution for the problem.
"The Howard Cooke Highway was built when I was the minister responsible for the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and it was quite sufficient," he said.
"Now that so many people have cars, we have solved one problem but we have created another. We are determined to create a solution for that problem and the solution is the dualisation of the Howard Cooke and Alice Eldermire roads," he said.
Under the project, 4.6 kilometres will be constructed at a cost of about $718 million and should be completed by March/April 2004. Work will include putting in traffic signals at seven intersections as well as some reorganising, re-routing and realignment to complete the highway.
The dualisation, which will see construction being carried out from Bogue to the amphitheatre on Howard Cooke Blvd, will allow for better regulation of traffic, Mr. Patterson said.
The West Indies Home Contractors Limited (WIHCON) is the contractual partner for the project, which will be the responsibility of the National Works Agency (NWA) and the St. James Parish Council when it is finished.
UDC Executive Chairman Dr. Vincent Lawrence said the two connecting bridges built by the NWA over the North Gully and the Montego River would be included in the new roadway.
"We had to look at creative ways of making the development take place within the shortest possible time," Dr. Lawrence said. "The solution was to engage a contractor who would meet the terms of a design, build and finance contract, reducing the government's risk."
This responsibility, he noted, was initially undertaken by his organisation.
The UDC Executive Chairman's breakdown of the dualisation of the 4.6-km of roads shows:
Howard Cooke Boulevard - 2.4 km
Alice Eldermire Drive - 1.15 km
Transitions at 11 intersections - 1.05 km
