China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is now in discussions with the Ministry of Transport and Works for the construction of a new highway from Spanish Town to Ocho Rios, including the completion of the Mount Rosser leg of Highway 2000.
The project, which runs from Linstead to Moneague, is now 88 percent complete, but has been plagued with several setbacks due to geo-technical flaws.
Further geo-technical issues, which were identified in 2009 by contractors, Bouygues Travaux Publics, are still being investigated, and the revised designs and estimate of costs are expected to be completed by the end of July.
It was earlier this month that Information Minister, Daryl Vaz lambasted critics of the 884 million dollar Christiana Bypass citing that more attention should be paid to the problem plagued Mount Rosser leg of Highway 2000.
Construction of the Highway, which was developed under the People’s National Party government, only got underway in 2007.
The work, which was slated to cost 99.5 million US dollars, has jumped to 124 million US dollars. However, so far 110 million US dollars has been spent on one zone of the three-zone highway.
Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company, NROCC, Ivan Anderson is now indicating that China Harbour Engineering Company has expressed an interest in the work.
Mr. Anderson told the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, (PAAC) on Wednesday that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed earlier this year with the company for a concession agreement.
This would see China Harbour financing, designing and constructing the north-south link. However, PAAC committee members expressed concern that the government is in discussions with another contractor for the completion of the Mount Rosser leg of the highway:
However, Mr. Anderson explained that the agreement with Bouygues was for the company to design and build the toll road, but not to operate it.
China Harbour is expected to present its proposal by the end of next month, which will be reviewed by Cabinet along with the Bouygues proposal.
In the meantime, Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company, NROCC, Ivan Anderson, says if the proposal from China Harbour Engineering Company is accepted, the company will collect tolls to refinance itself:
“ In relation to section one from Spanish Town to Linstead CHEC will invest their own money to construct their own money to construct the highway. In exchange they will collect toll to repay themselves for the construction of that roadway ……the discussion that we have been having so far is similar for the outstanding areas of Mount Rosser” said Ivan Anderson.
All feeds
