Erica James-King, Senior Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
AS THE flurry of preparatory activities for the Royal visit gains momentum, the $1.5 million drain cleaning and beautification programme slated for the event, will commence this weekend while the multi-multimillion dollar road upgrading exercise gets off the ground next week.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Superintendent of Roads and Works for St. James, Tubal Brown explained that the cleaning, disinfecting and flushing of drains in and around Sam Sharpe Square should begin no later than Sunday. The Parish Council, which is spearheading the cleaning and beautification project, will ensure the painting of curb walls between the City Centre and Creek Street, the bushing of verges between the town of Montego Bay and Rose Hall, and the pruning of trees in Sam Sharpe Square kick off this weekend.
Also to come in for attention are verges from the Sangster International Airport to the Town Centre.
Meanwhile, Pele Drive and Second Avenue in Flankers have been identified by the Parish Council for upgrading, in preparation for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Comm-enting on those two roadways Tubal Brown said, "They are in a bad shape, they were affected by recent flooding in the parish."
"A member of the Royal family will be going to Flankers School, and the National Works Agency(NWA) will be fixing Pele Drive and Second Avenue on behalf of the parish council."
However, access to financing for repairs to the two roads in Flankers is not yet a done deal. St. James Parish Manager for the NWA, Neville Clare discloses that since Pele Drive and Second Avenue do not fall under the purview of the NWA, "funding is not yet in place to conduct the repairs." According to Mr. Clare, he is in consultations with Chief Executive Officer of the NWA, Ivan Anderson and Director Milton Anglin, on the unresolved matter of funding for the roads which will be targeted in Flankers.
On the matter of other roads being done for the Royal Visit, the NWA indicates that patching of potholes and some repaving will take place along the Montego Bay to Pillar's Roadway. The financing for this stretch of road would have fallen under that segment of the Northcoast High Way Project dubbed "The maintaining existing road project." The Howard Cooke Bridge is also on the agenda for the Queen's visit.
"The Howard Cooke Bridge needs patching out, and we need to put expansion joints in place, because everytime we patch it, it wear out in no time, commented Mr. Neville Clare.
Meanwhile, "everything is on track" for getting the Montego Civic Centre ready for the Royal occasion. The Centre which was completed at a cost of $125 million last October, is to be furnished for the first time," come next week.
Secretary/Manager of the St. James Parish Council, Christopher Powell points out that The Museum and The Gallery are this week being fitted out with photographs of historical value, while furniture for the entire centre "should arrive between Wednesday and Friday" next week.
