Residents of the Greenwood community, straddling the border of St James and Trelawny parishes in Jamaica, are confronting severe infrastructural and environmental challenges stemming from a protracted road rehabilitation initiative. The project, executed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) under the government’s SPARK program (Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network), has instead become a source of profound distress for the local population.
Returning residents who invested in the area are now questioning their decisions. Denise Wray Burns lamented the state of the neighborhood, describing it as ‘a mess’ and a ‘ghetto,’ a stark contrast to the peaceful residential environment she anticipated. The core of the grievance lies with the storage of heavy machinery and construction materials directly within the residential zone, leading to constant noise, pervasive dust, and further degradation of the already poor roadways from the movement of heavy trucks.
The ramifications extend beyond mere inconvenience. Sheldon Gayle, a local educator, reported a discernible drop in school enrolment, attributing it to parents’ refusal to navigate the hazardous road conditions. The health impact is equally alarming; villa operator Christopher Smith detailed employees requiring medical leave due to respiratory issues exacerbated by the incessant dust. His wife, Christy, highlighted the damage to Jamaica’s tourism reputation, noting that international and celebrity guests are given a negative first impression, often needing to take detours to avoid the dangerous potholes.
While the roadwork is a recent development, residents like Donnette Hill, a 30-year community veteran, assert that underlying issues like illegal dumping are long-standing grievances that have been ignored for years. The collective frustration has been directed at local officials, including Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon and Member of Parliament Edmund Bartlett, demanding immediate intervention.
In response, Councillor Anthony Murray for the Rose Hall Division acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns but framed them as temporary setbacks. He attributed the significant delay primarily to Hurricane Melissa from October of the previous year, which complicated the final 15% of the project—a section below sea level requiring a meticulously designed drainage system to channel rainwater to the sea. Murray assured that the municipal corporation is investigating the complaint regarding CHEC’s equipment storage within the community.