WESTERN BUREAU:

The dualisation of the Bogue Road in Montego Bay, St. James will not be realised for the 2007/2008 financial year, as there are no funds available.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding made this revelation as he gave the keynote address at the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 75th Anniversary Ball in Montego Bay on the weekend.

"I must tell you because it makes no sense in building up hope that we can't fulfil," he said. "It is just not possible to accommodate that in this year's budget."

He said "unexpected expenses", such as Hurricane Dean and expenditure that was left off the budget that had to be found, were reasons for the Government's inability to undertake the development.

"However, I have indicated to (Finance) Minister (Audley) Shaw that in our capital budget for next year, we have to find accommodation to do the dualisation," Mr. Golding added.

Promise from Portia

During the campaign leading up to the September 3 general election, then Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller told supporters that her Government would be going ahead with the dualisation of the Bogue Road in Montego Bay, as soon as the designs were completed.

The roadway, which is a major entrance point to the second city, has been a source of traffic delays in peak hours and has resulted in the loss of thousands of man hours to businesses; late attendance of children to school; attraction operators losing millions of dollars in cruise ship passenger sales; and flight delays at the Sangster International Airport.

Two weeks ago, the National Works Agency began work to widen the roadway that will be used to facilitate a reversible two-lane flow, which would help to ease the traffic snarls due to the corridor's inability to accommodate the volume of vehicular traffic.

This, too, has been suspended, due to difficulties being encountered within the right of way.