Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has announced that upon the completion of the section of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) leading to Morant Bay, the roadway will be officially named ‘The Right Excellent Paul Bogle Highway’.
Holness said the decision is “in honor of our National Hero who gave his life in the struggle against oppression and injustice in Jamaica”.
In 1865, Paul Bogle led a group of hundreds of Black men and women armed with sticks and machetes on a march to the Morant Bay Court House. Their grievances included poverty, lack of voting rights, and high poll taxes. The tension had escalated following a clash between civilians and policemen at the court house days earlier, sparking what became known as the Morant Bay Rebellion.
Last year, the government designated October 11, the day the rebellion commenced, as Paul Bogle Day.
Prime Minister Holness expressed his vision for St. Thomas to be recognized as the “Renaissance Parish.”
“When the chapter in our history is written about St Thomas, it will show that this Administration has done the most for the people of St. Thomas. We have brought roads, water, jobs, industries, and development to what is now the ‘Renaissance Parish’,” he said.
Improved travel to St. Thomas
The Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge leg of the SCHIP was officially opened in February.
The Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge segment of the SCHIP was inaugurated in February, reducing travel time between Kingston and St. Thomas from 45 to 15 minutes over its 17.4-kilometer stretch.
Additionally, the project included the installation of approximately 28 kilometers of water lines, 350 meters of sewer lines, and 17.8 meters of fiber-optic ducts, benefiting 348 properties.
“The government is now focused on completing the Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and the Morant Bay to Cedar Valley legs of the highway, which will open up the corridor with water, broadband, and sewer lines in some areas,” Prime Minister Holness said.
