PM green-lights East Kingston roadways
Jamaica Gleaner
Tuesday October 24, 2002
PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson yesterday officially opened the Sir Florizel Glaspole Boulevard and the Michael Manley Boulevard in East Kingston, the former constituency of the late People's National Party (PNP) Members of Parliament.
The opening of the roadways were witnessed by Sara-Lou Mena, daughter of Sir Florizel, and Glynne Manley, widow of the former Prime Minister, as well as his son, Joseph.
Michael Manley Boulevard begins at the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) Rockfort plant and stretches to Rae Street and South Camp Road. The Sir Florizel Glaspole Boulevard also begins just below the JPSCo plant and extends to the Harbour View round-about.
Amidst a packed crowd of well-wishers, including a number of PNP supporters clad in orange and red party colours, Mr. Patterson said the opening of the roadways was pleasurable for him because he once lived in the community and the roadways were named after his greatest mentors.
"In every city, the business of getting to and from the airport has to be a critical area of urban planning," he said. He added that the development of the roadways was conceived in the 1970s and some amount of work began in the 1980s.
Mr. Patterson urged mo-torists to exercise care in using the roadways, as frequent speeding on smooth road surfaces usually results in accidents.
For his part, Phillip Paulwell, Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Port Royal, said he was delighted that the completion of the roadways was one of a number of positive infrastructural developments that have occurred in the constituency in recent times.
"So it's fitting we are naming the highways after two of our illustrious sons of East Kingston," he said.
Making his contribution to the ceremony, Transport and Works Minister, Robert Pickersgill, said the opening of the highways represented another significant step in improving the country's roadways.
The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) managed the road project, which was constructed by West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON).