SPARK road upgrade reaches 109 finished routes as Morgan updates Parliament

By April 2026, roughly 26 per cent of the routes chosen for repair under the Shared Prosperity Through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme had been finished.

Hon. Robert Nesta Morgan, Minister of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for Works, addressed the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 17) as he spoke in the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate. He reported that nine work orders totalling $18 billion are in place, covering 369 community roads spread across four packages.

“The SPARK Programme is one of the most ambitious road rehabilitations ever undertaken by any Government since Independence. It is valued at $45 billion, which includes $5 billion for water infrastructure… . Construction has commenced on 210 roads, and 109 of them have already been completed,” he said.

Morgan explained that roads delivered under SPARK are engineered for a minimum service life of seven to 14 years. The build period runs for two years, with a further one-year defects liability window.

“No road will be handed over to the Government under the SPARK Programme unless it is approved by the independent consultant who has to inspect all the roads. If the road is handed over and we discover that by the acts or omissions of the contractor something happened to the road, the contractor is obligated to go back and fix the road. It’s the first time that community roads, parish council roads are getting this standard,” he pointed out.

He characterised SPARK as a rehabilitation and reconstruction drive built around current engineering standards, stronger drainage, more durable pavement, tighter utility coordination, and lasting value for public money.

Using work on Everest Drive in Kingston as an example, Morgan said the scheme was first budgeted at $70 million. After construction began, crews found that underground pipes also had to be replaced. Movement on the hillside put nearby homes at risk. Retaining walls were not included in the original estimate, he said, but the Ministry added them to protect residents and their property.

“So, while the cost of Everest Drive has increased, we are comfortable with the increase because the value has been transferred to the people of Jamaica who pay the taxes and deserve good roads,” he said.