The Jamaican government is designing a new entrance to Portmore, St. Catherine, in a bid to ease the chronic traffic congestion motorists face along Mandela Highway during peak hours.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for Works, Hon. Robert Morgan, announced the initiative on Wednesday, April 30, while addressing the St. Catherine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s monthly meeting at Cecil’s Restaurant in Spanish Town.
“You see that ‘parking lot’ on Mandela Highway in the evenings because of the bottleneck right there at the entrance to Portmore—we are going to fix that,” Morgan said. “We’re in the design stage, about to go to the Public Investment [Appraisal] Branch to start building the new entrance to Portmore in the next financial year.”
The new entrance forms part of the government’s broader Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Programme, which includes several infrastructure upgrades across the country.
In Portmore, the $1-billion dualisation of Grange Lane is on track for completion by June. Additionally, expansion work on Braeton Road to a section of the Hellshire Main Road is expected to begin this month, following Cabinet approval for the $2.4-billion project.
Outside of Portmore, plans are also underway to rehabilitate Kingston’s Sandy Gully and its many tributaries. “A lot of people make the mistake of thinking it’s only the stretch from Mannings Hill Road going down,” Morgan said. “No, Sandy Gully has a lot of tributaries, which are also in need of repairs.”
Other expansion projects are in the pipeline for Arthur Wint Drive, Lady Musgrave Road, and East King’s House Road in the Corporate Area.
Morgan also noted that 10 per cent of the Spring Village Bridge replacement project in St. Catherine has been completed. The old bridge was deemed unsafe in 2023, and the replacement—now underway—carries a $249 million price tag.
