Port Antonio Bypass Land Buyouts Advance as SPARK Road Works Expand in Portland

Authorities are pressing ahead with purchasing property needed for the Port Antonio bypass in Portland and say they are protecting the entitlements of people whose holdings fall along the intended alignment.

At the recent reopen of the upgraded Caenwood Road in Portland, delivered through the Shared Prosperity Through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) programme, Hon. Robert Morgan, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for Works, reported that the bypass project stands at roughly six per cent.

“We are doing a very intense process of land acquisition because we have to fairly compensate persons who have land which is in the path. We have had several consultations, which our Director of Communications at the National Works Agency was [a part of], to reassure the residents of Portland of the Government’s interest in securing their rights,” Mr. Morgan said.

The Port Antonio bypass is budgeted at US$81 million and will create an 18-kilometre link that shifts vehicles away from the busy seaside town core, cutting journey times and transport expenses.

Mr. Morgan also pointed to ongoing spending in eastern and western Portland, including about $400 million planned under SPARK, alongside ordinary upkeep already under way in various parts of the parish.

“I want to assure the residents of Portland that your Government continues to invest in your infrastructure and your development, and we will continue to come and reassure you of our interest in your well-being,” he added.