... Bartlett also concerned

WESTERN BUREAU:

OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on Tourism and the Environment, Edmund Bartlett, has accused the Ministry of Works of "incompetence and ineptitude" in its implementation of the North Coast Highway Project.

"The North Coast highway, which started three years ago, has accrued cost overruns and delays unprecedented in recent years," said Mr. Bartlett. "Phase one of the project, which extends from Negril to Montego Bay, was originally estimated to cost US$25M, but has already exceeded US$70M and the bridges and inverts as well as a significant section of the Highway itself are yet to be completed," he said.

According to Mr. Bartlett, the Government has been giving numerous deadlines as to when the project would be completed, but none has been met. He said that based on projections made available to him from engineers and sources close to the project, phase one of the project could not be completed before August 2002.

"The Minister of Transport and Works should immediately instruct the National Works Agency to resurface the Reading to Savanna-la-Mar main road as an alternative route to Negril so as
to relieve the inconvenience to tourists and the commuting public", said Mr. Bartlett. "It is almost laughable that the Minister is today (Friday) breaking ground for the second phase of this highway to start from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios."

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