HIGHWAY 2000 is the centrepiece of a programme initiated by the Government of Jamaica. The main objective of the project is to upgrade Jamaica's infrastructure, provide economic opportunities for growth and create jobs through:
providing direct and efficient links between the major economic centres and reducing congestion on the existing road system.
reducing population pressures on the major urban centres and facilitating commuting from suburban and rural areas. increasing the safety of motorists and reducing vehicle operating costs by 29 per cent through the use of higher standards of highway design.THE PARTNERSHIP
Highway 2000 is a public-private partnership structured to maximise operational efficiency and minimise costs. A public-private partnership is a very effective means of increasing public infrastructure capacity by mobilising financial and other resources from the private sector.
The organisations making up this partnership are:
National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited (NROCC), a fully state owned company, which (pursuant to the Toll Roads Act) was authorised by the Minister of Transport and Works, the Hon. Robert Pickersgill, to delegate to the project company the obligations to design, finance, construct, maintain and operate Highway 2000 and levy, collect and retain tolls with respect to toll road usage.
TransJamaican Highway Limited (TJH) is the project company owned by Bouygues travaux Publics (66%) and Autoroute du Sud de la France (ASF) (34%), which was awarded the contract by NROCC to design, finance, construct, maintain, operate and improve Phase 1 of Highway 2000 and to levy, collect and retain tolls in respect thereto, under the terms and conditions set forth in the Concession Agreement. TJH was selected after a fully transparent tender process (details of which are posted on the web site www.hzkjamaica.com).
When Highway 2000 opened on Monday 22 September, it was the first encounter that most Jamaicans have ever had with a Toll Plaza. Although tolled roads are common throughout the USA and Europe, the concept of a toll road is still brand new in the Caribbean with Jamaica being the first to implement this type of modern motorway.
Highway 2000's first Toll Plaza is located at Vineyards, near the Bushy Park Interchange on the new 13 km road which stretches from Bushy Park to Sandy Bay. Tolls are paid on a 24-hour, 7 days per week basis, using either cash or a prepaid TAG card. in addition, tolls must be paid each time that a vehicle passes through the Toll Plaza. The toll amounts are permanently displayed on signs on the side of the highway at a distance from the Toll Plaza that will give motorists enough time to prepare to pay.
For cash payments, drivers should have their money ready as they approach the cash only lane. If the driver's payment is more than the exact amount, the toll booth operators will make change; if it is less, the car will not be allowed to go through and the motorist will be directed to use the reversing lane to return. The money goes by suction into a vault away from the cashiers and cleared by a separate crew.
FASTER METHOD
Motorists can also use a faster method by bulk buying toll fees using a prepaid TAG card. These are available from the Toll Plaza sales office and other retailers.
The prepaid TAG card works like a debit card that can accept as well as release funds. The driver puts a TAG sticker on the windshield and goes through the Toll Plaza in a lane that is reversed only for TAG payments. A machine scans the TAG sticker and automatically deducts the correct amount and displays the remaining balance on an electronic monitor. This way is easier as the driver can move quickly through the Toll Plaza.
There are three categories of rates that are dependent on the size of the vehicle.
Category 1, $50 for vehicles less than 2m and of any length, including motor cars, small sport utility vehicles and motorcyles.
Category 2, $60 for vehicles more than 2m high and less than 5.5m long, including large sport utility vehicles, some pickup trucks and minibuses.
Category 3, $120 - for vehicles more than 2m high and more than 5.5m long, which includes large buses, trucks and trailers.
All users, including GOJ licensed (yellow plate), PPV (red plate), trailers, towing vehicles (wreckers), as well as diplomatic vehicles must pay tolls. Only emergency vehicles such as paramedic ambulances, the police, the army and fire trucks are exempt.
The highway does not impose any restriction on vehicle dimension or laden weight other than what is applicable under Jamaican law.
Highway 2000 was designed with an emphasis on travel safety and the security of road users and toll staff.
The road is a dual carriageway that is 26.6m wide. Traffic going in opposite directions will be separated by a median barrier. Each of the four lanes is 3.65m wide. On either side of the highway there is a 1m verge and a soft shoulder that will be between 2.5m and 3m wide. In addition, the highway has a 3.6m resolve.
SHORTEST DISTANCE
The shortest distance between two points is along a straight line and the designers have found the shortest path along the routes. The two lanes of traffic in each direction have minimal curves and bends and this increases driver visibility and large vehicle manoeuvrability. There are no junctions or intersections, and pedestrian crossings are not allowed. All these elements make for reduced delays that result in shorter travelling times.
A straighter road without curves also has safety benefits. There are no blind corners to negotiate and this helps to reduce driver fatigue. Adequate drainage for seasonal rains has also been included in the design to keep the driving surface free from flooding and other water hazards.
Among the safety features are soft shoulders that make emergency pullovers along the highway safer. Underneath this soft shoulder is a network of fibre optic cables that connect to emergency telephone kiosks and traffic monitoring stations at various locations along the route. The telephones are clearly labelled "SOS" and motorists can use these to alert the highway patrol and other emergency response vehicles.
In addition, security fencing along the entire length of road will keep out wandering livestock, such as cows, and contribute towards making the highway a safe place for motoring. Security is a high priority for the Toll Plazas and cash collections are secured in vaults away from the Toll Plaza that toll cashiers will not be able to open.
Finally, there are plans for additional features such as rest stops and petrol service stations in the near future.
Bouygues Travaux Publics Jamaican Branch and TJH entered into a Design & Construction Contract for Phase 1a of Highway 2000 on February 23, 2002. The contract is on a lump sum, turnkey and fixed term basis.
Jamaican Infrastructure Operator (JIO) is a private company owned by ASF (51%) and Bouygues TP (49%) which is responsible for road safety and routine maintenance on Highway 2000 as well as the operation and collection of tolls at the toll plazas.
Highway 2000 is intended to be a four to six lane controlled-access, tolled motorway with interchanges and intersections built to modern international standards. Highway 2000 is planned to eventually connect Kingston to Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.
The project is divided into two phases, 1 and 2. Phase 1 is subdivided into Phase 1A and Phase 1B.
Phase 1A (46 km) target completion dates:
Old Harbour Dualisation (13 km) and Vineyards Toll Plaza - Opened Sept. 22, 2003. Kingston to Bushy Park (21 km) and Spanish Town Ramp Plaza - Oct. 15, 2004. Portmore Causeway and Hunt's Nay Bridge Toll Plaza - Sept. 15, 2005. Phase 1B (38 km) target completion date: Sandy Bay to Williamsfield - December 31, 2008.
Under the terms of the Concession Agreement, TransJamaican Highway Limited (TJH) has an incentive to undertake Phase 1B of the Project (otherwise equity return capped at 8%) and a right of first refusal to undertake Phase 2 of the project.
FUNDING
Phase 1A is funded at risk by equity and debt through the private sector, namely TJH, JIO and their shareholders. They will recoup their investment strictly through toll payments.
No taxpayer money per se is being used in the construction of the road and therefore these scarce tax payer monies can be utilised elsewhere.
The land was purchased by NROCC on behalf of the Government of Jamaica. NROCC also provided partial funding via a loan to the project. This loan will be repaid through the proceeds of the project.
In addition, these private sector investors cannot make excessive profits as there is a sharing mechanism. After a certain threshold profits are shared on an increasing basis until eventually all additional profit goes to the Government.
NROCC will be converted to a private company in order to permit the holders of the bonds, issued by NROCC on December 10, 2001 and due to mature on February 6, 2032, to exercise their option to convert the bonds into ordinary shares in NROCC upon that maturity date. These bonds represent the loan to the project.
The Toll Authority regulates the operations and maintenance of toll roads; monitors compliance of the concessionaires; and advises the Minister on matters of general policy related to design, construction, safety, regulation, operation and maintenance of toll roads in Jamaica. The Toll Authority is headed by Patrick McIntosh, former CEO of WINDALCO.
Under the Toll Act, the Toll Regulator is the person prescribed to grant concessionaires or operators of toll roads the permission to levy tolls. The Toll Regulator for Highway 2000 is Mr. Dunbar McFarlane,a former banker at NCB.
As the operator of the road, JIO will ensure the safety of the road user by managing the route using An Incident Management System, which analyses trouble spots in order to effect improvements; by providing regular patrols, accident response teams and operating SOS phones every 2 km; and by monitoring road conditions to ensure adequate quality and capacity. In addition, the Jamaica Constabulary Force will provide a dedicated highway patrol.
The secondary objective of JIO is to collect toll monies on behalf of TJH and to minimise fraud.
Toll collection is on a 24/7 three shift basis. Cash collected is automatically transferred to a bank vault and not left in the toll booths. Keys to the vault are not kept on the premises.
Motorists can pay either using cash or a prepaid electronic "Tag" which will allow rapid passage through a dedicated lane. Classification of vehicles is done automatically and manually and cross-checked with vehicle counters. Only emergency vehicles, police and the army will not be required to pay the toll.
