Multibillion-Dollar SPARK Programme Kicks Off with Signed Contracts
The Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme will see the start of road improvement projects in December.
On Thursday, December 5, the Government formalised four contracts worth $36.04 billion with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to implement the initiative.
The initial phase of the project will begin in St. Andrew Western, represented by Member of Parliament Anthony Hylton, and St. Elizabeth North Western, represented by Member of Parliament Hon. J.C. Hutchinson. Additional work will commence in Manchester North Western, St. Andrew North Western, and St. Andrew East Rural.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, outlined at the contract-signing event that the construction phase comprises four packages scheduled over two years, with an additional year dedicated to addressing any project defects.
An extra $5 billion has been allocated for water infrastructure enhancements, including $2 billion specifically for water mains, bringing the total investment in infrastructure to approximately $38 billion.
The project’s construction packages include the following areas: Package 1 targets Kingston, St. Andrew, and St. Thomas; Package 2 covers St. Catherine and Clarendon; Package 3 includes Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and Hanover; while Package 4 focuses on St. James, Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Mary, and Portland.
Management and execution of the works will fall under the responsibility of the National Works Agency (NWA), supported by technical professionals, consultants, and engineers.
CHEC’s Country Manager, Dangran Bi, assured stakeholders that the work will adhere to the highest global standards of construction and design.
The SPARK Programme’s official website, sparkjamaica.gov.jm, was unveiled during the signing event. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Robert Morgan, explained that the site will provide public access to information on the programme, including details about roads scheduled for repair.
A dedicated document centre has been introduced on the website, allowing users to access publicly available records and details on the governance framework approved by the Cabinet for managing the programme.
Community consultations were conducted nationwide to engage residents and identify the roads most in need of rehabilitation. The initiative aims to upgrade 60 major roads and approximately 600 priority roadways across 63 constituencies.
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