Rural communities not forgotten, says Holness

TROY, Trelawny — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has sought to reassure residents that the Government has not forgotten Jamaica’s rural communities, insisting that efforts are being intensified to integrate them into the country’s main centres of economic activity.

Holness made the remarks last Friday during the official opening of the Troy Bridge in Trelawny as he responded to an appeal from Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Mikael Phillips, whose Manchester North Western constituency is linked to Trelawny Southern by the bridge.

Phillips urged Works Minister Robert Morgan to ensure that deep-rural communities are adequately represented in road development plans, arguing that major towns and urban centres should not be the sole focus of infrastructure investment.

“Kingston is not Jamaica alone, Mandeville is not Manchester alone, Falmouth is not Trelawny alone,” Phillips noted.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness delivering the keynote address during last Friday’s opening ceremony for the $230-million Troy Bridge.

“Remember us in deep-rural Jamaica whenever you’re crafting that road programme, because we want some of it too,” he pleaded.

Government is moving ahead with plans to establish a One Road Authority, an initiative aimed at modernising, streamlining, and strengthening the management, regulation, and development of Jamaica’s road network.

Responding to the concerns, Holness acknowledged that rural communities often feel “forgotten”.

“It’s a loss of dignity, a loss of respect, a loss of confidence — and let me assure you, your Government does not forget the rural communities,” the prime minister declared.

He said the Government’s objective is to improve connectivity and ensure rural residents can easily access employment opportunities, markets, and essential services.

“What Government is trying hard to do is to rapidly integrate the rural communities into the nerve centres of economic activities,” he said.Holness argued that improved road networks will allow residents to live in rural areas while working elsewhere, and enable farmers and other producers to more efficiently move goods to market.

“We’re not forgetting rural communities — and the $230 [million]-odd spent here [on Troy Bridge] is a symbol that you are top of mind and not forgotten,” he added.

Morgan also sought to reassure residents that rural Jamaica remains a priority for the Government.

“I am a country MP too, and the Government will be doing a lot of work in these two parishes,” said the works minister.

Morgan noted that Cabinet last Monday approved the Accelerated Bridge Project to replace more than 50 bridges across Jamaica over the next two and a half years. He said the western end of the country, the hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, is set to benefit most. He pointed to a major road rehabilitation project planned for Trelawny under the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) programme.

(Horace Hines)

“We will be doing major road infrastructure upgrading — not patching — on the Troy to Warsaw Road, at the value of $280 million, under the SPARK main road programme for the people of Troy and the people of Manchester and Trelawny,” Morgan announced.

He added that additional road infrastructure projects for the constituencies and parishes would be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Phillips and two other elected political representatives — Trelawny Southern MP Marisa Dalrymple Philibert and mayor of Falmouth, Councillor C Junior Gager, who represents the Warsop Division — welcomed the opening of the bridge.

Gager, a native of Troy who lives near the bridge, noted that its collapse in 2021 following the passage of Tropical Storm Grace created significant challenges for residents, commuters, farmers, students, teachers and business operators. He jokingly recalled being inundated with requests to have the facility repaired.

“I live in this little district, I was born here. And when this bridge collapsed, many times you hear the people passing my place, Prime Minister, I hear dem bawl out, ‘Gager, yuh nah fix the bridge?’ So I am more than happy,” he said to a roar of laughter from the audience.

For her part, Dalrymple Philibert emphasised that, despite the challenges, rising costs, and unforeseen obstacles — including Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm — the Government remained steadfast in its commitment to seeing the project through to completion. She noted that this commitment reflects the Government’s recognition of the bridge’s vital importance to the people of the community and surrounding areas.

“This morning as we cut the ribbon, we do so with gratitude to the engineers, contractors, workers, public servants, and community members whose work made this achievement possible to everyone gathered here today,” she said.