Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaicans can be assured that his administration will take strategic action to repair roads in a sustainable way.
This comes as Tropical Storm Rafael dumped buckets of rainfall on the country earlier this week, resulting in severe flooding, landslides, and breakaways in several areas.
Colliecia Wright has our story.
Speaking at the post-cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, the prime minister referenced the damage to road infrastructure by Rafael and other recent weather events.
He says the impact is compounded by a prolonged state of deterioration over many decades.
Prime Minister Holness says the deterioration is the result of disinvestment by successive administrations.
On top of that, Holness says many roads were not built to handle the increased traffic flow currently being experienced.
Another challenge to which he pointed, is the impact of frequent and more severe weather events brought on by climate change.
But Holness says the improved economy has allowed the government to respond to those events without the need for loans from multilateral bodies.
The prime minister says he’s hopeful that implementation of the SPARK programme will begin before the end of the year.
The $40 billion SPARK programme targets major arterial thoroughfares across the country.
The Holness administration has also announced the REACH Road Rehab Programme designed to focus on repairs and maintenance of constituency roads. That project is valued at $3 billion.
