A contract in the amount of $27.5M was signed at the Jewels Hotel, Portmore on Wednesday, September 2 for the rehabilitation of the Forum Bridge in Port Henderson, St. Catherine.

Contract for the Project was awarded to Quality Plus Contracting Company Limited with work scheduled to commence this month. Work on the Project is scheduled to last for six months.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, State Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works & Housing Hon. Richard Azan said that Portmore was ‘blessed with respect to the level of infrastructural work being done there’. He revealed that with respect to the Forum Bridge Project, the work should have been completed this September but it had to be re-tendered. He also said that the bridge will be closed for three months in the first instance during which time a detour route will be constructed by the NWA.

MP for the area and State Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Colin Fagan who also spoke at the signing said that the rehabilitation of the Forum Bridge is among several Projects being done in the area. He said that the work would be monitored to ensure that it is done to the required standards and that he hoped it would be completed on time.

For his part, Mayor of Portmore, Councillor Leon Thomas said that the Police would be actively involved during the construction phase in terms of assisting with traffic management. He asked for the residents’ understanding during the expected inconvenience and said that more will be done in the days ahead in terms of sensitisation of the community.

Scope of works on the Project will include the following activities:

·         Construction of a temporary detour road inclusive of assembling and launching of a Compact 200 Bridge

·         Demolition and reconstruction of bridge abutment back wall (southern end)

·         Sand blasting and re-painting of bridge steel structure

·         Spalling concrete repairs

·         Repairs to steel girder

·         Replacement of bridge bearing pads

·         Csour protection works

·         Base and pavement reconstruction




During the construction period, access to by motorists to sections of Port Henderson  will be restricted to one way traffic flow during peak hours; provisions will be made to allow pedestrian traffic in the vicinity of the work site while the works are being undertaken.