JSIF says Montpelier Road repairs will begin in November
Published:Saturday | October 18, 2025 | 12:05 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The daily inconvenience faced by motorists and pedestrians who traverse the Montpelier main road in St James is set to end soon, as the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has confirmed that road reinstatement work is scheduled to begin on November 1.
The disruption, caused by ongoing underground pipeline installation, has been a major source of frustration for commuters.
However, JSIF Managing Director Omar Sweeney told The Gleaner on Wednesday that the project is now entering its final phase.
“We are currently doing the final testing of the pipelines, which has to be observed as well by the NWC, and we are about 60 per cent complete in that regard. We expect to be completed by the end of this month (October),” said Sweeney.
The project is being jointly executed by JSIF, the National Water Commission (NWC), and the National Works Agency (NWA).
Sweeney noted that while the pipeline work is not yet fully completed, road rehabilitation will begin beforehand to reduce further delays for residents and commuters.
“We are not waiting until all the pipeline is completed before we start the road reinstatement. We are taking measures now, working with the NWA to start the road reinstatement on November 1,” he said.
He also acknowledged that parts of the Montpelier corridor have deteriorated beyond the immediate area of pipeline work. As a result, JSIF and the NWA are coordinating efforts to ensure a more comprehensive rehabilitation of the roadway.
“There are deteriorations on the road that is not related to the pipeline works. What we want to do is to ensure that any further inconvenience only lasts one time. We are combining efforts so that the pipeline reinstatement and any other potholes or repairs will take place at the same time,” Sweeney explained.
GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Robert Morgan, reinforced the Government’s commitment to completing the rehabilitation once the technical work is finalised.
“We will fix the Montpelier Road; that’s a commitment you have from me as the minister and from the prime minister. We plan our projects, we budget our projects, and we have a budget to fix that road,” Morgan said.
The Montpelier project is part of a broader multi-million-dollar infrastructure programme aimed at upgrading roadways, drainage, and water systems in western Jamaica. The initiative falls under the government’s 10-year National Infrastructure Development Plan.
On Tuesday, Member of Parliament for St James Southern, Nekeisha Burchell, updated constituents via Facebook, noting that progress is being made on the long-awaited road repairs between Montpelier and Anchovy.
According to Burchell, E. G. Hunter, CEO of the NWA, has confirmed that remedial work on the corridor has already been scoped and costed.
“This is not a promise without action. It is the result of an ongoing effort to ensure that the people of St James Southern receive the infrastructure they deserve,” she said, crediting “continuous advocacy and persistence” for the breakthrough.
However, Morgan pushed back on the suggestion that community pressure or recent protests were responsible for the timeline, stating the rehabilitation was always part of the government’s infrastructure plan.
“We welcome advocacy, advocacy is good,” said Morgan. “But as a responsible government, we plan our projects, we budget our projects, and we have a budget to fix that road.”