Ground is scheduled to be broken on Saturday (July 16) for the construction of the long-awaited Montego Bay perimeter road.

The 274.5 million-dollar contract for the project was signed between the Government and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, last November.

The highly anticipated project is expected to benefit thousands of road users and will entail the construction of a 14.9-kilometre bypass of the city to ease traffic congestion affecting the area.

It will also include rehabilitation of Barnett Street and West Green Avenue, construction of the Long Hill bypass, as well as a drainage study.

Member of Parliament for St. James West Central, Marlene Malahoo Forte, said she is excited about the solution that the perimeter road project offers.

She noted that property acquisition for the roadway is still underway.

Malahoo Forte was speaking to JIS News, following a recent courtesy call with the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica.