AMID THE call by Portmore community leaders for a boycott of the recently opened toll road linking the St. Catherine suburb to the Corporate Area, Government will proceed this week with its promise to reconstruct feeder roads to the new highway.
The National Works Agency (NWA) indicated on the weekend that the US$2.7 million construction work on Passage-fort Drive in Portmore would be resumed this week. Work had commenced last Monday, but was halted on Thursday when contractors said they were unable to proceed with aspects of the project due to the impingement of motorists and vendors who operated within the Passagefort Drive vicinity.
DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT
A decision to continue the road project followed discussions between community leaders, local government representatives and contractor Bouygues.
On Tuesday, the NWA said it would also start work on the Port Henderson Road project, estimated to cost US$2.22 million. It will include drainage improvement, the lifting of sections of the roadway and repaving. The upgrading of Passagefort Drive and Port Henderson Road was demanded by Portmore residents as a prerequisite to the opening of the controversial toll road. Govern-ment agreed to carry out the $400 million road projects including changes to Mandela Highway at various stages after the opening of the toll road.
EFFECTIVENESS OF
THE BOYCOTT
In the meantime, the Portmore Citizens' Advisory Council (PCAC), says it will host a press conference on Tuesday to publicise its assessment of the effectiveness of the boycott of the toll road to date and to plan further protest strategies.
"We are pleased that Portmore residents have been supporting the boycott in different ways," Yvonne McCormack, PCAC chairperson, told The Sunday Gleaner.
