By Claudia Gardner:
LUCEA, Hanover — French infrastructure and construction firm VINCI Construction is earning largely favourable reviews from residents in Lucea and Negril for its handling of works along the Lucea-to-Negril section of the Western Water Resilience and Improvement Project.
Residents and tourism stakeholders alike have praised VINCI’s professionalism, attention to safety and efforts to properly restore road surfaces following excavation and installation of the new water transmission infrastructure.
The project which is expected to last for 36 months, involves extensive excavation along sections of the main road as VINCI installs 37 kilometres of ductile iron pipelines from Haughton Court to Negril. It is part of a J$24.8 billion (€144 million) project which is designed to overhaul western Jamaica’s aging water supply network, reduce leaks, and boost climate resilience against ongoing droughts. While disruption is unavoidable, several people who have observed the work say the contractor’s approach has helped to minimize the inconvenience.
For proprietor of Charela Inn in Negril, Sophie Grizzle, the contractor’s attention to safety has been particularly noticeable. Grizzle said she has been “very impressed” by VINCI’s professionalism, pointing to the safety barriers, traffic lights and personnel being used to manage traffic around the work zones.
“I love the way they are looking at the safety. They have been able to move fast, professionally, efficiently. It is really a pleasure to see them moving so fast and getting this job done,” Grizzle told Negril Times following a recent community meeting.
She noted that while some motorists disobey the traffic signals, contributing to occasional congestion, but notwithstanding, VINCI has demonstrated that major infrastructure work can be carried out without unnecessarily disrupting local people.
Executive Director of the Hanover Educational Institute, Angela Haye, was similarly struck by the quality of the work. Recalling a recent drive along the Copperwood vicinity, Haye said the completed roadway gave little indication that major excavation had taken place.
“You could not tell that construction had taken place, that digging had taken place there. It reminded me a great deal of the United States in terms of the professionalism of how the work was carried out,” Haye said, describing the work as “commendable.”
For her, the project represents something larger than a water infrastructure upgrade. “To me, this is what transformation is,” she said.
Negril-based philanthropist and community stalwart, Elaine Allen Bradley, told Negril Times, that the company had taken the time to explain how the work would be conducted and what would happen to areas affected by construction. She also said residents and businesses within the resort town would have to endure some inconvenience as the project progresses, particularly with the tourism season approaching.
“We had meetings with Vinci before and they have laid out there how the process is going and how they are putting things in place and making sure they make good whatever they dig up,” she said.
“We are going to be sort of disenfranchised in some way because of the work that’s going on but we have to put up. A project of this scale could not be completed overnight,” she said, adding that concerns about traffic delays had also been eased by what she has seen in Lucea, where VINCI had assured stakeholders that motorists would not face prolonged waits.
“So we accept because they seem very genuine. We accept that we have to put up with the discomfort of what is going on because it’s for the better good in the future,” she explained.
Allen Bradley too, noted that one of the strongest points of praise has been the condition in which the roadway is being left after pipes are installed, and that the quality of the work has changed some of her expectations about how large construction projects can be handled in Jamaica.
The retired intensive care nurse said she had specifically questioned VINCI about whether the company would rehabilitate the roads, explaining that she wanted the finished surface to be aesthetically pleasing rather than simply functional.
“So far what I’ve seen in Lucea is excellent. That’s what they said that they would do and they are sticking to their word,” she said.
In an interview with Negril Times, VINCI’s section manager for the Lucea-to-Negril phase, Audrey Brun, said the contractor has deliberately placed significant emphasis on traffic management and safety. She explained that flagmen, traffic lights and warning signs are being used to regulate traffic and alert motorists before they reach construction zones.
Brun said the traffic system is adjusted according to traffic volumes, allowing the company to maintain the flow of vehicles while protecting workers. She said VINCI is also fencing and segregating work areas to prevent pedestrians and other road users from entering potentially dangerous sections of the construction site.
Brune also addressed the restoration of areas affected by construction, saying the company’s objective is to leave each location in at least as good a condition as it was before the work began. “And of course, when we can make it even better and make it safer, it’s what we try to do and what is part of our work,” she said.
However, not all of the feedback from the community has been entirely positive.
Leonard Sharpe, a local building contractor from Cauldwell in Hanover, says he considers the project a good one and is pleased with the quality of the road resurfacing, but believes the work is progressing too slowly.
According to Sharpe, having started in June, the crews should have progressed farther than the Esher community by now.
“It is a very good project but I think the workmen are moving too slow. But VINCI is still doing a good job of resurfacing the road after they put in the pipes,” he said.
