PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson yesterday warned people with extortion on their mind to lay off the Highway 2000 project.
Mr. Patterson who was touring the construction site in south west St. Catherine, said that because of security concerns there should be no disruption of the project.
He said a clear message should be sent to those seeking to engage in the practice of extortion and acts of violence, that those activities would not be tolerated.
"The construction industry has to make a major contribution to economic growth and the development of our country (and) if we are undertaking a project of this magnitude, it is very important that we make it clear to anybody who has extortion or violence in mind that they had better forget it," Mr. Patterson warned.
Expressing satisfaction with the quality and pace of work that is being done on phase one of Highway 2000, Mr. Patterson commended the contractors, Bouygues Travaux Public of France.
He said the level of satisfaction was shared by "all the relevant government agencies including the National Works Agency and the National Environment and Planning Agency, as well as by international agencies which provide external financing for the project."
Phase one of Highway 2000 extends from Sandy Bay in south east Clarendon to Hartlands in south west St. Catherine, providing some 230 kilometres of roadway. The project is expected to be completed by July following which the construction of the section of the highway which will run from Hartlands to Portmore, south-east St. Catherine, should commence. The total cost of phase 1 of the project is US$390 million.
