If Jamaica is to be hit by a Category Four or Five storm before the end of the 2008 hurricane season, the Palisadoes strip may see further damage, says Transport Minister Mike Henry.

This, as current work on the strip will only allow protection for up to a Category-Two hurricane.

Henry last Thursday conducted a tour of the flood-prone roadway, which was severely eroded in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan, to assess the work currently being done by the National Works Agency.

The Government recently commenced work on a US$10 million (J$720 million) project to secure the roadway, which leads to the Norman Manley International Airport, in the event of a storm surge or high tide.

Dunes built

Funding, Henry said, is being provided by the Caribbean Development Bank.

So far, a stretch of two-metre-high dunes has been built which, according to engineers, can only protect the strip during a Category One or Two hurricane or in the event of high tide.

Henry, however, told members of the media that the long-term plan was to apply a Cuban-style rock-revetment protection system along the 12 kilometre-long strip. The dunes will also be raised to 4.1 metres to adequately protect the area from storm surges caused by a Category-Five hurricane.