Damion Mitchell, Assistant News Editor

Today, The Gleaner presents part three in the series outlining the problems, priorities and projections in the various government ministries. This week we zoom in on the transport ministry.

The Government could be abandoning the Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000.

Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry says he will decide on the way forward in another two months, but it is part of his consideration to do away with that aspect of the development as he pursues efforts to resume the rail service.

"It's part of the process of my thinking," Henry said. "I have to integrate that development, look at the economic impact and the cost that may be involved. I am hoping not to make decisions based on a five-year plan. I want a 2050 plan."

The Williamsfield leg, or Segment 2A of Highway 2000, was slated to run from Bushy Park in Clarendon to Williamsfield in Manchester at a cost of US$120 million (J$8.4 billion). It is unclear, however, if this price tag has since been adjusted.

Delayed

The project should have started in July, but was delayed for several reasons. These include the fact that the National Road Operating and Constructing Company had not completed the assessment of the lands that would have to be acquired to facilitate the construction of the highway.

"We should have been more advanced," Henry said. "Seeing that we had committed this all along, I would have thought that we would have moved more quickly because values of land and values of information do not go down."

Work on the Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000 is currently slated to start in October.