Cedric Johnson, Gleaner WriterWESTMORELAND:
TWO CONTRACTS amounting to J$134 million were signed yesterday for the resurfacing of the Woodstock to Newmarket and Darliston to Newmarket main roads in Westmoreland.
Of the amount, $107.5 million is to be spent on the Woodstock to Newmarket road and $26.5 million on the Darliston to Newmarket road under the National Road Improvement Programme.
FUNDING
"Government is resolute in its determination to improve the road network across the country and will be making every effort to provide the necessary funding to facilitate this improvement," said Dr. Fenton Ferguson, minister of state in the Ministry of Transport and Works. Dr. Ferguson signed the contracts on behalf of the government.
The junior minister, who pointed out that 14.25 kilometres of roadway will be repaired under both projects, urged the contractors, Leslie Chung of Surrey Paving and Aggregate and Anthony Mathison of General Paving, to give the taxpayers value for their money. He told them to avoid and resist extortionists as neither the National Works Agency (NWA) nor government would tolerate shoddy work.
MILLIONS ALREADY SPENT
The minister said $400 million was recently spent on roads in Westmoreland under the National Road Improvement Programme, the Caribbean Development Programme, the Urban/Rural Township Programme, the Flood Damage Project and the Kuwait Programme.
Dr. Ferguson disclosed that $10 billion is being spent on the National Road Network, which received damage to the tune of $3 billion during the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September.
Signing on behalf of the contractors were Leslie Chung and Anthony Mathison. The ceremony, which took place at the New Roads All-Age School, was witnessed by representatives of the government and the NWA.
