Officials representing the Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing, NROCC, the NWA, CHEC and other stakeholders toured the North/South link of Highway 2000 on Friday, May 31, 2013.
The tour which started at the Ferry/Mandela Highway corridor, traversed the route the corridor will take with stops along the way. Stops were made at the Caymanas community, the Spanish Town/Angels area where an interchange will be located; the Linstead/Bog Walk Old Road; the Mount Rosser Site Base where a briefing and safety orientation was conducted; and the Moneague Roundabout.
The Project will be done in three phases – Section 1 which will run from Caymanas to Linstead covering approximately 27.5km; Section 2 – Linstead to Moneague involving a distance of approximately 19.2km and Section 3 running from Moneague to Ocho Rios and involving some 21.3km. Section 1 will see construction taking place between September 2013 and February 2016; Section 2, February, 2013 – May, 2014 while section 3 will go from November, 2013 – February, 2016.
The Project is designed as a 4-lane tolled highway with a minimum design speed of 80km/hr and will see travelling time from Caymanas where it starts decreasing to approximately 50 minutes. It will be built at a cost of US$600M.
Speaking while on the tour, Minister Davies used the opportunity to advise that the geo-technical issues which were associated with parts of the Mount Rosser Bypass have now been resolved and work is proceeding apace. For his part, Managing Director of NROCC, Mr. Ivan Anderson said that the toll collection along the corridor will operate differently from what now obtains. He said that commuters will now pay for the actual journey travelled; so upon entering the toll road, one will receive a tag and when they exit that is the time they would pay.
Upon completion of this corridor, it will join up with the North Coast Highway at the Ocho Rios end.
The tour was spearheaded by Transport, Works & Housing Minister, Dr. Omar Davies; he was accompanied by Mr. Ivan Anderson, Managing Director of NROCC; Mr. Wayne Reid, Chairman of NROCC; Minister Robert Pickersgill, MP for a portion of the area where the road is located; Mr. Colin Bullock of the PIOJ among others.