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Help Coming for Palisadoes Peninsula

Minister Mike Henry addresses the audience at the launch of the Palisadoes Protection Programme. Others in the pic are from left to right Permanent Secretary, Dr. Alwin Hales and CEO of the NWA, Mr. Patrick Wong

Come July, the Palisadoes Peninsula will be the beneficiary of major improvements under the Palisadoes Shoreline Protection and Rehabilitation Programme. 

The work to be done on the peninsula, courtesy of the Chinese will be done at a cost of US$65M.  Leading the process will be China Harbour, a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest and most comprehensively equipped companies in the world. In terms of project specifications, the sum of US$65.37M has been allocated through the China Exim Bank and the contractor for the project will be China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.

Speaking at the launch of the Palisadoes Shoreline Protection and Rehabilitation Programme on Thursday, April 22, Minister Mike Henry said that the Project involves protection and rehabilitation of the stretch from Harbour View to the historic town of Port Royal. “This will involve raising of the surface as necessary, to upgrade from protection against a 22-year return period to a 100-year return period,” he continued.

“Very important also, will be the widening of some 4.4km of the roadway to accommodate four-lane traffic between the Harbour View Roundabout and the Airport Roundabout,” Mini8ster Henry explained.

The Palisadoes Peninsula represents the gateway for most visitors to Kingston via the Norman Manley International Airport and in that respect, is a very important corridor to the entire Jamaica. It is against that efforts are being made to save the value of such a prized possession and relates directly to the privatisation of the Norman Manley International Airport.

As part of the protection programme, work will also be done on the Port of Kingston with a view to intensifying the volume of shipping and other logistics business being done in the capital city. Discussions are also far advanced for the establishment of a cruise pier at Port Royal; this with a view to bringing back many tourists to the capital city.

With the widening of a significant section of the roadway, general commuting along the corridor will be significantly improved. There will also be significantly improved social amenities, including the provision of 3.6km of boardwalk and seating facility for the convenience of the public.

The Protection project will complement other ongoing developments along the island’s south eastern coastline, including shoreline protective works at Roselle in St. Thomas, and the recent signing of contracts for the re-construction of the Dry River Bridge at Harbour View and continued river training works along the banks of the Yallahs River.