THE National Works Agency (NWA) has acknowledged that while it does not have the required capacity to implement the Government’s massive road repair plan under various programmes, it will engage consultants to assist in the implementation of the works.
According to communications and customer service manager at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, the entity has already engaged contractors under the government’s ambitious $45 billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) program, one of Jamaica’s largest roads – and water repair initiatives ever. .
SPARK will launch soon and is aimed at significantly improving Jamaica’s infrastructure, with a focus on critical improvements to road networks and water systems.
“We have requested and received permission to engage consultants as this relates to the major work we will be doing. That is why we have actually engaged consultants under SPARK to assist us with the rollout of the SPARK program. There will be some other entities coming on board because SPARK is very involved in the range of things that we are going to do – I’m talking about water, roads, telecoms – and so we need to make sure that the corridors are well designed. So engineering has to be an important part, and it will be the most important part of what we’re going to do,” Shaw told reporters and editors last week. Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange.
“We are aware of our internal shortcomings and that is why the government has agreed to us purchasing services, and that will be a key part of what we do under SPARK, as we have done with other major infrastructure works we are doing across the country have carried out. Shaw added.
The NWA also has the responsibility to implement the Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) road repair program, a comprehensive national road repair program worth an initial $3 billion, which was announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in August this year.
This program is designed to address critical road infrastructure needs across the island, with a specific focus on damage caused by recent weather events, including Hurricane Beryl, and on the implementation of routine road maintenance. Earlier in December, the Prime Minister announced a further allocation of $2 billion under REACH to start urgent repair work.
“As far as REACH is concerned, REACH is a response to the maintenance challenge that we have, and that is why we are working with local companies and contracting companies to facilitate and help us ensure that the selected roads that we are targeting are ready . And I think we have the ability to do the work because…$5 billion is not going to be spent all at once,” Shaw said.
Under the REACH programme, funds will be allocated to each of the 63 constituencies to carry out essential road repairs and maintenance so that all regions of the country benefit fairly.
As for the government’s routine end-of-year work initiative, the constituency-based mitigation and cleanup program for which a significant portion of funds is focused on road rehabilitation, Shaw argued that this is a manageable undertaking for the entity based on the way it is being executed. structured.
“Even with the end-of-year work, not everything will be ready by the time the Christmas holidays arrive. Some aspects of the work will continue early next year, especially the patching aspect. A lot of what is being done now is related to brush removal, but we have somewhat suspended restoration activities due to the heavy rains we have experienced,” he said, noting that restoration work has since resumed.
One of many potholes observed in Newlands, Portmore (Photo: Garfield Robinson)