UPDATE: Work begins on Spanish Town Road; it will take ‘a few months’

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Repair work has started on Spanish Town Road, particularly the stretch between the Denham Town Police Station and the entrance to Coronation Market, following protests on Tuesday over the state of the thoroughfare.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, with responsibility for water, Matthew Samuda, was on site at the intersection on Tuesday where emergency works had been undertaken to fix sewage leaks. “We will today be breaking ground between Beaston Street and Water Street on 580 metres of replacement pipeline, which will see 12-inch replacement pipeline being re-laid to remove the old pipes, that collapsed along this area,” he told Observer Online.

Samuda said the pipes which were “older than he was” were overdue for repair, at a cost of $80 million. In a subsequent release, Samuda said the project forms part of the over $400 million being spent in the area. “This project represents $160 million of the over $400 million being expended into this area. I wish to reassure the public that we are doing everything within our capacity to alleviate the discomfort and unsanitary situation being experienced,” he stated.