Road upgrade to aid St Mary economy

AN APPROXIMATELY $20 million plan to rehabilitate several St. Mary roads is expected to provide spin-off benefits for farmers in getting their produce to market.

The roads targeted are presently characterised by rough terrain, conditions that act as a deterrent to the transporters of food produce who take the crops to the end consumers.

The project includes seven kilometres of roads in Pleasant Hill and Camberwell, and incorporates the districts, Fort George, Baxter's Mountain, and George's Hope Road.

The road repairs is a collaborative project of Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP), and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority.

EJASP is a three-year European Union funded programme to improve the lot of small farmers in rural communities of the island's eastern belt. The programme covers St. Thomas, Portland, St. Andrew and St. Mary.

The road project will rehabilitate 3.1 kilometres at Pleasant Hill for $8.49 million, and another 4.03 kilometres in Camberwell at a cost of $10.9 million.

The works have been contracted to DaCosta Construction and Heavy Equipment Limited, whose principal is Merrick DaCosta.

EJASP project manager Leslie Grant, acknowledging the demand for roads, said the need was "so great that when a community has been selected to be assisted, it can consider itself fortunate," said a release on the project.

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