Jamaica’s largest four-lane bridge, which is currently under construction over the Montego River in St. James, is 95 per cent complete.
This was disclosed by Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), Stephen Edwards.
Edwards described the bridge, which spans 180 metres, as “a signature piece in the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project and, more specifically, the Montego Bay Bypass”.
He further noted that the bridge has surpassed the local record previously held by the 150-metre-long bridge on the May Pen to Williamsfield segment of Highway 2000.
The latter bridge was built over the Rio Minho during the construction of Phase 1C of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP).
Environmental Manager at NROCC, Errol Mortley, highlighted that the concrete bridge is one of the standout features of the expansive Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project, which spans both urban and rural areas.
He also noted that the road includes two escape lanes, which are critical safety features on steep downhill roads. These lanes are designed to slow and safely stop vehicles experiencing brake failure by utilising sand or gravel to gradually reduce forward speed.
“There is one going towards the north and one going towards the south. So, where we had some sections of steep inclines, we included the escape lanes,” Mortley shared.
He also emphasised another critical area of the project that demands extensive engineering and construction – a section located between the National Water Commission (NWC) Waste Stabilisation (sewage) Ponds, which will necessitate crossing through mangroves.
“In previous projects, we may have retarded the flow of water. But in this one, the highway construction will have to include measures that will allow water to be balanced, even under the highway, without being compromised by the road surface above,” the environmental manager noted.
“When completed, these will be two significant achievements that we have never had, apart from work on the bridge on the Portmore leg of the highway. But for Montego Bay, going through sewage ponds and a wetland without compromising them significantly is a great feat for this project,” Mortley added.
The main components of the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project are the 15km Montego Bay Bypass, the 11km Long Hill Bypass and upgrading works to be done to main roads such as Barnett Street and Westgreen Avenue.
The Montego Bay Perimeter Road, which is on schedule for completion in May 2026, will begin in the vicinity of the Freeport Police Station on Alice Eldemire Drive and end on the North Coast Highway, adjacent to the Blue Diamond Shopping Centre in Ironshore.
