Jamaica government rolls out road works, housing and health projects

Government updates carried on Friday, July 3, 2026 pointed to a wide policy push across roads, housing, security, agriculture and health. A major item was the launch of the $25 billion main-roads leg of the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network, or SPARK, programme by Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and Works Minister Robert Morgan at Jamaica House. The plan covers 37 heavily used corridors in St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St. James, St. Ann, St. Mary, Trelawny, Hanover and Westmoreland, with more than 900,000 Jamaicans expected to benefit. Officials said the works will include drainage upgrades, slope stabilisation, retaining walls, bridge and culvert improvements, road markings, signs and added pedestrian-safety features, including measures for persons with disabilities. Thirty-one work orders have already gone out to China Harbour Engineering Company, while flagship jobs include the Washington Boulevard upgrade with a grade-separated crossing at Molynes Road and the Dunrobin Avenue extension to East Kings House Road by way of Sandy Gully.

Housing also featured prominently, with Holness handing over 14 National Housing Trust apartments in Vineyard Town, Kingston, on Wednesday. The units are spread across two sites, including eight at 2A Central Avenue, and each offers about 430 square feet of living space with a fitted kitchen, bathroom, balcony and shared amenities. Holness said the scheme, which began in 2017, was disrupted by extortion and worker-safety concerns. He also urged small developers with projects between five and 25 units, or up to 50 rooms, to seek NHT financing and technical support to help expand affordable housing.

On security, Holness said Jamaica's standing in the 2026 Global Peace Index reflects heavy investment in the security apparatus and stronger attention to peace-building. The report ranked Jamaica as the Caribbean's most peaceful country, third in North and Central America and 70th worldwide out of 163 states. Government figures show major crimes fell 19.5 per cent between January and June, with murders down 23 per cent. Deputy Prime Minister and National Security and Peace Minister Dr. Horace Chang said Jamaica closed 2025 with 674 murders, the first annual total below 700 in more than 32 years, while the homicide rate moved from 40 to 24 per 100,000 people.

In the fisheries sector, Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green said India is donating 20 fishing boats and engines under a hurricane-recovery arrangement for Jamaicans affected by recent weather events, adding to grants, equipment and other support already being provided after Hurricane Melissa. He said the Traffic Information Management System is also being advanced so minor fisheries breaches can be settled like traffic tickets without a court appearance. Another agriculture segment highlighted an Agricultural Youth Symposium staged by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and the ministry, where more than 1,500 students and young farmers from all 14 parishes took part in seminars, networking sessions and technology displays under the theme of resilience and food security.

The programme also carried updates on water and health infrastructure. The National Irrigation Commission said it has strengthened its systems for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season through routine maintenance, about $18 million in generators and variable frequency drives, a 150-kilowatt solar installation in the Duff House Irrigation District, the rehabilitation of 700 metres of canals and the replacement of 1,400 metres of pipelines. In health, the ministry said the redeveloped Cornwall Regional Hospital and the new Western Child and Adolescent Hospital are expected to open this fiscal year, while the new six-storey wing at Spanish Town Hospital remains on track for March 2027. The ministry also signalled three major comprehensive health centres in St. Catherine, the deployment of more than 100 newly trained specialist nurses, overseas recruitment from India, Nigeria and Ghana, a $1 billion maintenance fund for health infrastructure and a $500 million community care fund. Separate public-health messaging in the broadcast also rejected common myths about breastfeeding and promoted it as important for infant health.