Stakeholders question drainage plans, timeline for Lucea road project

Western Bureau:

While plans are now in place to repair the dilapidated Seaview Drive in Lucea, Hanover, some stakeholders remain dissatisfied with the scope of the project, arguing that it does not adequately address the drainage issues they say are largely responsible for the chronic flooding that has plagued the town.

At a recent stakeholders’ meeting, the National Works Agency (NWA) announced the signing of a $39-million contract to rehabilitate the troubled roadway. Although NWA representatives indicated that drainage concerns are being addressed as part of the works programme, some attendees remained unconvinced, arguing that the town’s long-standing flooding problems require greater attention.

Seaview Drive, also known as Seawall Road, is the main route linking Montego Bay and Negril through Lucea. Over the years, it has deteriorated significantly, becoming a major frustration for motorists and pedestrians alike. During periods of heavy rain, flooding, and potholes can turn what should be a three-minute journey into one lasting as long as 45 minutes.

Part of the roadway was repaired in August using asphaltic concrete under a $54-million drain-cleaning and road-repair project. However, flooding that followed subsequent heavy rainfall renewed concerns among residents and business operators about the effectiveness of those interventions.

In an interview with The Gleaner following the meeting, Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels expressed mixed feelings about the latest project. While welcoming efforts to address the road’s deteriorating condition, he questioned whether sufficient attention was being paid to drainage.

“Whilst I am in support of work to be done on the Seawall roadway, the way they are going to do it, I am not in agreement with that. We need the road fixed, but it should have been planned better than what is now in place.”

Samuels said he was unhappy with both the proposed four-month timeline and the fact that the work would not cover the entire length of the roadway. He also voiced concern about what he perceived as an absence of plans to address the drain that runs alongside the road.

“If the drain is not addressed, the work will not make any sense,” he said, noting that sections of the roadway left untouched could soon become problematic.

According to Janel Ricketts, community relations officer for the NWA’s Western Region, the project is slated to commence on October 5 and will target 200 metres of roadway. The section will be upgraded with an eight-inch-thick rigid concrete pavement, replacing the traditional asphaltic concrete surface.

In a statement, she said that while asphalt concrete had been used previously as the final surface, the rigid concrete pavement, given the prevailing conditions, is expected to provide a more durable solution.

The agency also acknowledged that “the stretch has been the source of much frustration as it is low-lying, close to the sea, and often floods during bouts of high wave action or heavy rainfall.”

Calls for review

Heatha Miller-Bennett, member of Parliament for Hanover Western, told The Gleaner that while the meeting was convened to discuss the repairs and traffic-management arrangements, the project’s timeline emerged as a major concern.

“The work is to start on October 5 and take place over a four-month period, and several concerns were raised about that,” said Miller-Bennett, who also raised questions about alternative routes and the role of the police in managing traffic during the construction period.

“We asked for them to consider doing it in a much shorter time, with the same level of efficiency and standard, because the impact the delays will have on business and personal operations for such a long time will be tremendous,” she said.

Miller-Bennett said she hopes the project will be reviewed with a view to shortening the timeline while ensuring that the work is completed to the required standard.

“The initial commencement will take place during the night, we were told, so as to minimise the effect of traffic flow, while the Jamaica Constabulary Force has given their commitment to assist as much as possible in monitoring the traffic flow,” she explained. “I welcome the repairs to that corridor as that corridor is critical to businesses and the surrounding communities.”

The NWA has also indicated that efforts will be made to minimise delays to road users during the project, with some aspects of the work to be carried out at night to reduce disruption, particularly for motorists.

President of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce Shermaine Anderson-Gayle also raised concerns about the project’s timeline and the need to address drainage although she welcomed the effort to improve the road’s condition.

“I said to them that drainage is fundamental, and you have to have drainage before you go ahead and fix the road because then you will have more problems in the future if the drains are not fixed,” she said, while suggesting that the NWA technocrats appeared to be dismissing some of her recommendations.

“We have asked for a follow-up meeting just before the work is slated to begin so that we can see and hear what the final plans are before the work actually begins,” she added.

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