The National Works Agency (NWA) has intensified efforts to complete several projects now underway in Portland valued at nearly 90 million dollars. The works include road rehabilitation, drainage construction, patching and the construction of a bridge.
Community Relations Officer for the NWA’s Northeastern Region, Natalee Bloomfield, says that a 23 million dollar programme is now underway in Eastern Portland, where the Lighthouse Road, Bottom Back Street and Donkey Man Corner are being rehabilitated. Works have been completed on West Baptist Avenue.
Additionally, the NWA is rehabilitating the Mount Oakley to Pleasant Hill parochial road. The works which are over 65 percent complete will see the construction of drains, kerbs and channels and a Double Surface Dressed wearing course at a cost of over 37 million dollars. This project is being funded through the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP).
In the meantime, the NWA spokeswoman says that the Agency is making steady progress with the replacement of the bridge along the Buff Bay to Whitehall main road, in the vicinity of Craig Mill, in Western Portland. The defective structure has been taken down and the replacement structure, a Compact 200 Bailey Bridge launched along the same alignment. Work is now underway on both abutments with the river training component and the establishment of the approach roads to be done over the next six weeks. This project is being undertaken as part of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) at a cost of 26.6 million dollars.
